The Last Of Us: The Road
by Exangellion
Summary: Joel and the gang have killed Devlin (the Wolf). But when a new threat attacks, what will happen? Will they once again be knocked back on the road? Or will they be able to keep what they've fought so hard for: community?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I'm back bitches! I know, it's only been a little while since I uploaded the final chapter to The Last Of Us: Past and Present, but I felt it was necessary to say that. I'll probably be saying that a lot more. But anyway, you're not here to listen to me blabber on about the story I'm going be writing, you're here to read the story itself, so I won't hold you back anymore. Without further ado, I give you the sequel to The Last Of Us: Past and Present; The Last Of Us: The Road.**

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><p>Chapter 1:<p>

Tommy took a deep breath, doing his best to stay silent and calm. From where he was, crouched under the window of a two-story house in a small gated community, he could see a large sized pack of bandits moving. They were obviously scavenging for supplies. Tommy closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. The air was chilly, and Tommy knew it was once again fall. The air inside of the house was dusty and dirty. Sweat seemed to cling to every part of Tommy's torso, making his shirt stick to his body. The bandits were speaking in loud voices, and Tommy knew they were getting close to the house.

Carefully, Tommy pulled back the bolt of the rifle. He removed a bullet from his back pocket and slid it into the barrel. The bolt clacked back into place, and Tommy lined up his sights. The whole world around him suddenly seemed to stop. Tommy held his breath as he lined up one of the bandit's heads in the sights. He exhaled quietly, before putting his finger on the trigger and applying pressure. There was a loud bang, like an explosion, and blood flew from the head of the bandit. The others dove for cover, and Tommy quickly reloaded. The fight had begun.

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><p>Joel walked calmly towards the manor, taking calm, deep breaths. He was on his way there to meet up with Maria, who would be going with him on the run. Maria, every time he was around her, heard her name or thought about her he would feel a pang of guilt and sadness. If he hadn't let the Wolf stab him, if he had been conscious, he could have made him stay. And now her husband and his brother was gone, most likely dead.<p>

Several times Joel had been tempted to go looking for Tommy. But the thought of getting into any kind of trouble always caused him to draw away. He didn't want to get hurt out there and not be able to get back to Ellie. And besides, it was more difficult for him to do anything with just one arm. Joel huffed as he drew nearer to the manor. He didn't want to have to do this-go on the run with Maria. He didn't want to feel the guilt that came with being with Maria. She never told him it was his fault, Joel doubted she blamed him. But he blamed himself, and the hurt look that was constantly in her eyes just added to it.

Joel shook his head, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He needed to stop thinking about it, or he'd find himself in tears, or having a nervous breakdown or something. With a heavy sigh, Joel gripped the knob of the front door of the manor and pushed it open. Inside he was met by Jesus, who clapped him on the shoulder. "Well good morning Joel! Good to see you're still walking among the living...okay. Bad Joke."

"By far the worst." Jesus chuckled. "Just head on over to the dining hall. Maria's in there loading up." Joel nodded his head and began to move there. As he walked, he looked around himself. He spotted Jamie making his way down from the second floor, and the man waved. "Going out on a run Joel?" Joel nodded his head. Jamie grinned. "Cool. You should keep your eyes peeled for any comic books or something for Ellie. As far as I know her reading material's been stretched pretty thin." Joel nodded his head. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Alright. See you later man." Then Jamie was jogging off towards the front of the manor.

When Joel reached the dining hall, he nodded to Maria and began looking through the supplies scattered about the table. He took his pack from his shoulder, laid it down on the table and opened it up. He grabbed a medkit, and a roll of gauze from the table, and several clips for his 9mm. Once he had his backpack over his shoulders again, he motioned for Maria to follow, then walked through the door.

As the two made their way through Jackson, Joel found his thoughts going back (once again) to Tommy. It had been a little over a month and a half since the confrontation they'd had with the Wolf out at that warehouse. Joel rubbed a hand through his hair. After several deep breaths, he shoved Tommy from his mind and clenched his fists. He just needed to keep his mind focused while he was on this run. Once they were done he could find a quiet place where he could cry in peace.

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><p>Tommy's legs pumped heavily. Sweat poured down his body, almost as if he had just stepped out of a shower. His muscles ached. His head throbbed. He felt like shit.<p>

_Just keep running...just keep running, _he thought. But he was so tired, so tired. He just wanted to drop down and let the bandits take him out. He didn't want to keep running, he didn't even think he could run for much longer. Behind him, he could hear the bandits chasing him through the woods. He had a good amount of space in between them, but every time he thought he'd lost them, and stopped for a breather, he'd hear them again. They just wouldn't give up.

When Tommy caught sight of the small house, nestled in the woods, he veered off and began running for it. When he reached the front door, he didn't stop, he slammed right into it and went crashing into the house. He slammed the door behind him, and took several deep breaths. He looked around him. The inside of the house was dank and dark. He took several steps forward, cringing with every step he made that would cause a floorboard to squeak.

Tommy was just past the stairs, when something heavy slammed into him. He was knocked off of his feet, onto his back. It was a _very_ large dog. Tommy's rifle went skidding across the floor. Tommy put his hand against the dog's neck and tried as best as he could to get the thing off of him. But it was no use. No matter how hard he tried, Tommy just couldn't keep the thing off of him. The dog barked, and snapped at Tommy's neck with it's powerful jaws. Spittle flew from it's mouth and hit Tommy's face.

He couldn't believe it. He'd fought hordes of infected, been in, probably, hundreds of firefights, and had evaded death so many times. And he was about to be killed by a _goddamned dog._

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><p><strong>AN: So, yeah, just yesterday I uploaded the final chapter of The Last Of Us: Past and Present. So if you haven't finished that yet, you shouldn't be reading this. But if you have, good to see you've returned, I've missed you for the last twenty-four hours. But anyway, what do you guys think? Is Tommy about to get his face mauled off by a dog? How bad has Joel beaten himself up about his brother's "death"? What's Ellie doing? Well, you'll find all of these things out and more next time on The Last of us: The Road.<strong>

**~Exangellion**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Tommy felt as if his arms were going to break under the pressure of the monstrous dog on top of him. It snapped at him with it's powerful jaws, stopping just inches from his flesh. Tommy knew this was it, the dog was eventually going to get close enough and chomp a hole right in his throat. Spittle flew from the dog's mouth and hit Tommy's face.

Tommy was just about to give up, let the dog maul him to death, just let it be done with, when he heard someone shout: "Hey! Fang!" Then Tommy saw him. The guy had to be somewhere close to his age, with shoulder-length, sandy blonde hair. He wore a heavy, black winter coat, dark blue jeans with a hole in one of the knees and black combat boots. Hanging on a leather strap from one shoulder was a camouflage-colored crossbow. The man hurried over to Tommy and gripped the dog's lime green collar in his hand. The man was able to pull the dog off of Tommy, but the dog immediately struggled and fought, barking at Tommy and trying to get at him.

The man looked behind him. "Angel..._Angel!_" It took several moments, but suddenly, a girl poked her head out from behind a door. She was pale, with brunette hair, reaching just past her shoulders and light brown eyes. When she saw Tommy on the floor, and the other guy just barely holding the dog back, she stepped out all of the way. She was wearing jogging pants, a green hoodie over a purple t-shirt and black running shoes. "Angel, call the dog off." The girl-named Angel-hesitated to do so. She just watched carefully, and calculatingly. Tommy immediately understood that she had had the dog set on people before. That she'd had to kill.

"_Angel!_ Call him off." Hesitantly, she nodded her head. With a heavy sigh, she said; "Fang, down boy." The dog didn't obey the command immediately, but after a second, it sat down, and just growled at Tommy. Slowly, Tommy climbed to his feet. The man who'd saved Tommy quickly pulled the crossbow from his shoulder and aimed it at him.

"You bit?" He asked harshly. Tommy quickly shook his head. "No, why in the hell would I have tried to stop your dog from maulin' me if I was infected?" The man blinked a few times, and nodded his head. "Yeah...yeah, okay." he looked at Angel and Fang, then slung the crossbow back over his shoulder before holding out a hand to Tommy. "Name's Chad." Tommy slowly shook his hand. Chad took a step back and motioned to the others. "Not sure if you caught it, but this is Angel...and that's Fang. He's her dog." Angel suddenly grabbed Chad's coat sleeve and tugged on it. She motioned with her head towards one of the rooms, and Chad huffed. "Could you give us just one second?" Then he was being dragged out of Tommy's view.

Chad let Angel drag him out of the main hallway, and into what had once been a kitchen. Once inside, Angel stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. Chad put his hands on his hips. "What?" Angel rolled her eyes and motioned to the door with one hand. Chad immediately got the message. "Angel...now I know that you aren't the biggest fan of people-"

"Is he going to be staying with us?" Chad huffed and squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know yet, but I've told you before that there's safety in-"

"We don't even _know_ him!" She hissed at Chad. Chad didn't respond, just gave her a cold look. When she just mirrored his movements, Chad reached up and pinched his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Angel...we _need_ to have people. We can't just expect to survive on our own all of the time. Now-" Chad's head suddenly whipped to one of the windows of the kitchen. He walked over to it and looked outside. What he saw caused his eyes to grow. "What?" Angel asked.

"I think it's about time we go." He said, pulling the crossbow from his shoulder and moving out of the kitchen. When he was in the hallway, he pointed to Tommy. "Any of those guys out there yours?" Tommy shook his head. "Probably the guys I was runnin' from." Chad gulped and nodded. "Angel, keep Fang silent. Not quiet, silent." Angel nodded her head, producing a pistol from her belt, holding that in her right hand and a knife in her left. Tommy picked up his hunting rifle.

"Let's get going." Chad said before pushing the door open. They slid out silently, and Chad peaked around the corner of the house. "I see about ten guys. Who the hell did you piss off?" Tommy didn't answer, just shook his head. Chad followed him. The four moved quietly, sneaking through the trees, and doing their best to keep out of sight. Chad looked over his shoulder. The bandits were beginning to move into the house. They probably had a good ten minutes before they left the place. He sighed. They would be fine if they just kept moving. If they kept going, their tracks would go cold and then they would be in the clear.

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><p>The four of them walked for hours. Tommy constantly felt the girl's eyes on him. He knew she didn't trust him-it didn't surprise him. But that couldn't be something to worry about. He needed to get back to the Hilltop. Back to Joel and his girl, back to his people, and back to Maria. Maria, he wondered how she was, he wondered if she thought he was alive or dead. More likely the latter. Tommy rubbed a hand through his hair and sighed heavily.<p>

He looked over at Chad, Angel and her dog. He now had someone who could help him get back to the Hilltop. Hell, he might even be able to convince them to join the community. He'd just have to talk to Chad and find out what he thought about it. But right now, they needed to find a spot to camp before night fell. If they didn't, they could probably expect to be attacked by a pack of infected or killed by some bandit hiding in the trees or something. As if he'd been reading his thoughts, Chad suddenly said; "There's this nice little cave at the base of a hill right around here somewhere. It'd be a good place to camp." Tommy looked over at him.

"You familiar with the area?" Chad shrugged his shoulders. "I've been all over the place. I was looking for the fireflies for awhile. But then I found Angel. And she isn't too keen on looking for the fireflies. Thinks their a bunch of idiots."

"I think they're idiots because they _are_ idiots." Angel mumbled, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jogging pants. Chad scoffed, and shook his head. "So...being the good man I am, I decided I'd ditch the idea of finding the fireflies and take care of her."

"I _can_ take care of myself." Chad nodded his head. Tommy watched the two for a moment. He was suddenly reminded of Joel and Ellie. This made him smile.

When they reached the cave Chad had been talking about, he looked in, and made sure it was clear before ushering Tommy, Angel and Fang inside. Chad then moved off to the surrounding trees, and began getting wood for a fire. Tommy sat, rubbing at his arms. It was starting to get cold now that the sun was beginning to set. They sat in a somewhat uncomfortable silence, neither one speaking. Every once in awhile, Tommy would feel eyes on him, and forced himself not to stare back at the girl.

She made him uncomfortable.

Two things happened then. Tommy heard a gunshot crack in the air, breaking the peaceful silence. Tommy quickly crawled out of the cave, rifle aimed, to find Joel standing over Chad, who had a large wound in his shoulder, where the bullet from Joel's 9mm had struck him. Joel had his gun pointed directly at Chad's face.

"Joel! Don't!" Joel's head whipped over to Tommy. Relief, surprise, and happiness filled his eyes all in one moment. He abandoned Chad and rushed his brother, wrapping his arm around Tommy. Tommy hugged Joel back. Maria came rushing over just moments later, and Tommy saw the tears forming in her eyes at the sight of him. Tommy held out his arms, and she ran into them, sobbing freely. Tommy clapped Joel on the back, with one arm still wrapped around Maria. "How the hell have you make it out of there little brother?" Joel asked. Tommy opened his mouth, when he suddenly remembered Chad. His head whipped in that direction, just as Angel caught sight of him. She called out his name and hurried over to him.

"We need to get him to the Hilltop." Tommy said, running over and dropping to his knees by Chad, and with Joel and Maria's help, they began to move.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, there you have it. Another chapter of TLOU: The Road. What did you guys think? Are you glad that Tommy and Joel are reunited? What's Ellie and Devin been doing? Are Angel, Fang (the dog), and Chad trustworty? Don't forget to tell me what you think by hitting that little review button.<strong>

**Speaking of Angel, Fang and Chad, I can not take credit for Fang and Angel. In the previous story, I asked you guys if you wanted me to put your OC's into my sequel to Past and Present. Well, SilverGamerGirl sent me the character profiles for Angel and Fang. So all credit for those characters goes to her. Well, I think I've talked enough. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading and I will see you all next time.**

**~Exangellion**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Chad's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he tried to sit up. But much to his surprise, pain rushed through his shoulder, and he flopped down, letting out a groan. He slowly opened his eyes again, and stared up at the...ceiling. Where in the hell was he? He looked to his right. There was a window without any blinds. Sunlight filtered through, bathing him in warmth. There was a small bedside table next to the bed he was lying on. It was littered with what looked like medical supplies, but Chad was still half asleep, and unable to tell for sure. He looked to his left, and sitting there in one of the two chairs next to the bed was Angel. Laying asleep by her feet was Fang.

"Hey sweetcheeks." Chad said, gently poking her with his fingers. Angel must have been dozing, because when he poked her, she jerked awake, her hand flying down to where her gun was. Chad laughed at this. Angel flipped him off. Chad laughed again. He looked around himself for several more seconds.

"So where the hell are we?" He asked. Angel shrugged her shoulders. "No clue. There's a lot of people here though." Chad could see the uneasiness in Angel's face. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled. "It'll be alright...what happened to..." Chad couldn't remember the guy's name for a second. "Tommy. What happened to Tommy?" Angel shook her head.

"Some guy shot you yesterday. Tommy said he was his brother. They took us here." Chad looked down at his bare torso and his shoulder, which was wrapped heavily with gauze. He gently prodded at it. "You know," He said, looking back at Angel. "You don't have to stay here. You could go anytime. I don't know about me though." Angel quirked an eyebrow at him. Chad smiled. "I thought you hate people."

Angel shook her head and flipped him off once more. "So you _do _like people?" Angel shook her head.

"So it's just me you like?"

"Fuck you." She replied. Chad waved a hand at Angel, and looked on both sides of the bed. "Where the hell is my shirt?"

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><p>Joel slid into his shanty to find Devin Ellie and Rebecca munching on what looked like a stash of blueberries. Ellie waved to Joel, who walked over and picked one of the blueberries up before tossing it up into the air and catching it in his mouth. "Excuse me ladies," He said, moving around Rebecca and Ellie before plopping down onto his bed and putting his arm behind his head. "How's that guy?" Ellie asked, popping a few more blueberries into her mouth. Joel shrugged. "He'll make it. At least, that's what the Doc says."<p>

"So why did you shoot him?" Rebecca asked calmly, a grin on her face. Joel furrowed his brows. "Why do I feel like that's a loaded question?" Rebecca laughed. "He pulled a crossbow on me." Devin looked at Joel. "He had a crossbow?" Joel nodded. "Why?" Devin shrugged.

"Just never seen one is all." He answered truthfully. Joel shook his head and rubbed at his forehead. It had been a busy couple of days, and he was wiped out. He just wanted to drift off and sleep for several hours before Ellie started bothering him about food. But luck wasn't with him. Rebecca stood and flopped down onto his legs. Joel sat up slowly and looked at her. "What are you doin'?" Rebecca shrugged her shoulders.

"Trying to entertain myself. Jamie's boring." Joel huffed, and pulled his legs out from underneath Rebecca and sitting up. They all sat there in silence for awhile. Devin and Ellie eating blueberries, Devin laughing at Ellie's few attempts to catch blueberries with her mouth. Rebecca staring at a wall as if it were the most interesting thing in the world, and Joel, lost in his own thoughts.

Then there was a knock on the door. Joel opened his mouth to ask who it was, but Rebecca spoke first. "Speak your name mortal!" From outside the door came the voice of Jamie. "Don't be a weirdo Rebecca." Then he was sliding inside with a handful of comics. "Got these for Ellie, thought I'd come drop them off before I forgot." He dropped the comic books down on Ellie's lap, and looked up at Joel. "I was also kind of wondering if I could borrow you and Rebecca for something." Joel exhaled loudly before pushing himself up onto his feet and motioning for Rebecca to follow. "I'll be back in just a bit. Don't cause any trouble." He said to Ellie and Devin.

"No promises." They both called back. Joel grinned and followed Jamie out of the door. The three of them moved calmly through the Hilltop. When they reached the front gate, Jamie called up to Jesus. "I'm gonna' show him the note! You didn't move it did you?"

"Nope!" Jamie then pulled the gate open, ushered Joel and Rebecca through, before closing it behind him. Jamie took a sharp left, and walked about a hundred yards down, almost to the end of the front wall, and tapped a knife that was stabbed into the sheet metal. Joel's eyebrows furrowed. "Who the hell did this?"

"Why don't you read the note?" Rebecca held the note by the bottom corner and silently read it. When she was finished, her eyebrows shot up. "What the fuck?" Joel walked up next to her and read it as well. What it said made both anger, and a bit of fear flow through him.

_Give us your land. If you don't, you'll pay the price. We've got both the firepower, and the manpower to take you down. Don't fuck with us._

Joel felt his grip on the piece of paper tighten and he ripped the paper off of the knife. He looked at Jamie with flaming eyes. "Someone better find out who the hell put this on our wall, and they had better do it fast. Or there'll be hell to pay." He tossed the paper onto the floor. Then he pulled the knife out of the wall and threw it down, the blade embedding into the dirt.

"They're gonna' feel pretty stupid when they find out." Joel said, turning and looking at the trees off in the distance. Jamie quirked an eyebrow. "When they find out what?"

Joel looked at Jamie, and said unblinkingly: "They're _fucking_ with the _wrong_ people."

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><p><strong>AN: Ooooohhh boy, Joel does not sound happy. So what did you think? Do you guys like Angel and Chad and Fang? Who's fucking with the wrong people? What do you think Joel's going to do if anybody directly threatens the Hilltop-especially with the problems they had with Devlin (the Wolf)? Well, we'll find out soon enough. Thanks for reading the third chapter (I'm proud of myself, I wrote the second and third chapter all in one day-a lot of work considering school is back on), are you excited for the next chapter? Well, if you're not, you should still read it. <strong>

**~Exangellion**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Joel walked briskly towards his shanty. He was fucking _furious. _Who the hell was screwing with them this time? Hadn't he and Ellie and the rest of them been through enough as it was? Joel scratched at his beard and thought about it for a long time. There hadn't been any problems with any other large groups in the area, besides a few stray groups of bandits, but he didn't think they'd ever merge to make one large group. It had to be someone else, some dickhead deciding they would try and take a safe place from a bunch of decent people.

_You're not exactly a decent person Joel. _"Shut the fuck up." Joel growled at the voice whispering in his head. Of course it was right, but Joel didn't think anyone else that was a part of the community at the Hilltop needed to be fucked with. When Joel reached his shanty, he shoved the door open and stepped inside before moving to his bed and laying down on it.

He put his arm behind his head and closed his eyes before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

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><p>Chad sat up in bed and pulled his shirt over his head just as Tommy stepped through the door, followed by an older man with thinning gray hair. Tommy motioned to the older guy with one hand and said; "This here's the Doc, be nice to him, he's my father in law. He's the one who patched your shoulder up." The Doc nodded.<p>

"I've patched up several others for Tommy. _Including _his brother." Tommy nodded his head. "Yeah, my brother Joel's the one who shot you." Chad's eyebrows furrowed. Tommy chuckled. "It's alright, he's just a little aggressive. Especially with strangers." Chad nodded his head.

After the dog had assessed his wounds and made sure he didn't have to worry about getting any kind of infection, he left Chad alone with Tommy Angel and Fang. Chad rubbed the back of his head, before saying; "So uh...you guys got room?" When he caught the shocked and angry look Angel sent him, he added: "Probably not a permanent place, just somewhere we can rest up for a bit." Out of his peripheral, he caught sight of Angel relaxing a bit. Tommy nodded his head. "Yeah, we've been working on expanding the Hilltop lately. I'm sure we'll have a couple of empty shanties you guys could use." Chad smiled and thanked Tommy gratefully. Tommy nodded his head.

"No problem. If you decide you're going to stay, just know we could always use more people." Chad nodded his head and thanked Tommy again. Once Chad and Angel were alone again, Angel decided to address the elephant in the room. "We're not going to be staying her are we?" Chad facepalmed. "Angel...do _not _start this again." But Angel was anything if not persistent. "Chad, we don't even know these people, and-" Chad held up a hand and silenced her.

"Like I said to Tommy: we might not even stay here permanently. But Angel, we can't always count on making it on our own. One day we're going to run into some kind of trouble, and if we're by ourselves, we could be fucked. Now, I know you hate people, but let me tell you something: we need to be able to rely on people. We have to be able to trust _trust_ someone. Besides, if this place shows any signs at all of being something worse than it seems to be, we'll leave." Angel shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jogging pants. "_Fine." _She said after several moments of silence.

Chad breathed a deep sigh of relief and put an arm over Angel's shoulders. "Thank you." She nodded her head with a huff.

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><p>The next morning, Joel was yanked from his sleep by the loud strumming of a guitar. He bolted up into a sitting position, his head whipping from side to side. Devin and Ellie rocked back, and shook with loud laughter. Joel let out an annoyed growl and flopped back onto the bed. "What the hell do you two want?" He asked, feeling annoyed at the loss of sleep.<p>

"Dude, it's got to be somewhere around like one in the afternoon." Devin replied. Joel exhaled loudly, but he slowly sat up all the same. "Yeah, and I'm starving." Ellie chimed in. Joel looked over at her and shook his head. "Why don't you two just go on up to the dining room? I'm sure they got somethin' cookin' up there."

"Ellie wanted to wait until you woke up. You were starting to take too long." Joel rubbed at his eyes. "Alright, c'mon. Let's get goin'." He stood and slid his boots on before following Ellie and Devin out of the shanty and into the cool open air.

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><p>The dining room was crowded and for several minutes Joel, Ellie and Devin were unable to find a seat. It took them awhile, but eventually, they slid into their seats (Ellie and Devin sitting side by side, Joel straight across from Ellie). Tommy was there and had been holding the spots for them. Sitting near Tommy as well, was Chad and Angel. Tommy motioned towards the two newcomers. "Joel, you know Chad." Joel nodded his head. "Sorry about shootin' you." Chad nodded his head.<p>

"I was about to do the same thing, so..." Joel nodded. Tommy pointed to Angel. "And that there is Angel." Joel glanced at Angel for just a second before looking down at the food they had gotten. Today for lunch, there was what seemed to be canned chicken noodle soup. Joel took a bight and shook his head. The broth was thin and almost tasteless. But he ate on, not wanting to waste any of the food that he was given. As he ate, Joel thought about the note stabbed onto the Hilltop's front gate. Just the thought of someone else who posed a threat to him or Ellie or any of them for that matter really pissed him off. Every time he thought about it, he would feel his blood boil.

Joel quickly began to shovel the soup into his mouth, eating faster than was necessary. When he had finished, he pushed back from his seat and stood. "Where you off to?" Tommy asked carefully, seeing the look in Joel's eyes. "For a walk." Was Joel's reply. He walked quickly, exiting the dining room and moving through the front hall of the manor. When he was outside once again, Joel walked down the small slope of the large hill the manor had been built on, and made his way towards the Jamie's shanty. When he reached it, he pounded against the door somewhat forcefully. After several seconds, Joel heard the shuffling of feet, and the door was pulled open to show a slightly disheveled Jamie. He rubbed at one of his eyes.

"Joel? What's up?"

"Have your boys found anything?" Jamie's head hung and he huffed. "Joel, we only found the note yesterday. I don't think we're going to find _anything_ for awhile." Joel pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a few deep breaths. "Jamie, I want you to find me something worthwhile soon. We can't have any threats around." Jamie nodded in agreement with Joel. "Yeah, but I just don't know how we're going to find anything unless these guys make another move."

"You'd better get workin' then, because I know neither one of us want anything bad to happen to these people." Jamie scrubbed a hand down his face, but nodded. "Yeah...yeah, sure, I'll get my boys working on that when my shift on the wall comes around." Joel nodded his head and began on his way back to his shanty.

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><p><strong>AN: Not a very eventful chapter, I know, but I'm writing this at one in the morning and my brain isn't working. So, I'm sorry for that, but I just don't think I can stay focused for too much longer, or I'll be passed out on my computer. Oh well.<strong>

**Anyway, enough of that. What did you guys think? Was it at least interesting? Are you wondering who's fucking with them? Do you think whoever is messing with them is really as dangerous as they say they are? What's going to happen to the Hilltop if the new threat is extremely dangerous? Why am I asking questions that I can't answer? Find out the answers to all of these questions (except for the last one) next time on The Last Of Us: The Road.**

**~Exangellion**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

That night, Joel lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling of their shanty, listening to the crackling of the fire, and the even breaths of Ellie and Devin as they slept. It had to be somewhere around two in the morning, but Joel could _not_ sleep to save his own life. He just lay on his back, thinking about the note found on the front wall. He wondered if Jamie and his men had found anything worthwhile. Joel shook his head, he needed to stop thinking about it for awhile, he needed to relax or he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight at all. Joel scratched at his beard and looked over at Ellie, laying on her side peacefully. Joel couldn't stand the fact that something that could kill her was out there. Joel squeezed his eyes shut and put his hand to his forehead.

After several minutes of sitting like this, he stood. He would just go for a walk, clear his head and come back to go to sleep. Slowly and quietly, Joel slipped his boots onto his feet and slid out of the door. Once he was in the cool night air, Joel felt his brain clear. He took in a deep breath of the fresh air, shoved his hand into his pocket and began to walk.

It only took a few minutes for him to hear the sound of another set of feet moving in his direction. Joel looked over his shoulder and stopped. It was Rebecca. She caught up with him and motioned for him to follow. "What are you doing up so late?" she asked calmly.

"What are _you _doing up so late?" Joel responded. Rebecca chuckled. "Touché." Joel shook his head. The two walked in silence, their legs seemed to move by themselves. When they reached the back wall, they took a left and began to move along the perimeter. Joel found himself beginning to relax.

"I hope this isn't a bad question or anything, but..." Joel looked over at Rebecca as they walked and waited. "What happened to your arm? I meant to ask a long time ago, but you seem like the kind of guy who doesn't like to dwell on the past." Joel chuckled. "You'd be right about that." He looked down at his arm, specifically the spot where it ended just below the elbow.

"I was uh...bit. Cut it off in an attempt to at least hold off dyin'." He shook his head. "To this day I ain't sure if cuttin' the arm off was the reason I didn't get infected." Rebecca thought about that for a minute.

After er a few moments she said; "Well, you handle yourself pretty well without it." Joel nodded. The two fell back into a comfortable silence.

* * *

><p>"Is there an evacuation plan?" Joel asked Jesus the next day as they walked slowly towards the dining room of the manor. Jesus chuckled. "Yeah we do as a matter of fact." Joel watched Jesus carefully. Jesus saw this and smiled. "We've got a gate on the back wall. If we ever get attacked by a large group of bandits or are invaded by a pack of infected we've got a bus. We'll get as many people as we can onto the bus while the people who can fight here hold off whatever is attacking. <em>Before<em> the incident with the Hunters, the plan was the bus would go to Jackson. Tommy and Maria and I have decided that the best place to go is Bertrand Missouri." Joel furrowed his brows.

"Why Bertrand Missouri?" Jesus shrugged his shoulder. "I'm from there. It's a small place-there was probably about a thousand people there, roughly. If there's any infected there, or bandits they'll be easy to get rid of." Joel nodded his head. This was a start, and a good one. At least he now had a place to send Ellie and Devin if there was an attack by whoever was threatening them. These thoughts had only just zipped through his mind, when there was a loud explosion. Joel whipped around and stared off at the front wall. "What the fuck?" Jesus looked at him, and the two ran off for the front gate.

When they reached the gate, Joel climbed the ladder to the top, and when he looked down, he froze. There, on the other side of the gate, were eight, very large trucks. In the middle of these trucks, with four on each side of it was a tank. Standing on the tank was a giant of a man. His hair was cut short, his hands resting on his jeans clad legs. He stood there, still and silent.

Joel felt someone move close to him and he looked over to see Tommy, gripping his rifle in a death grip. "Jesus is gettin' everyone evacuated. We just need to keep this guy occupied long enough for him to get as many people on the bus as he can." Joel nodded. "Make sure Ellie and Devin get on that bus. I don't want them stayin' here." Tommy nodded, and quickly moved away. For several more minutes, everything was deathly silent. But then the guy standing on the tank cleared his throat and said; "My name is Josiah, and I think you know why I'm here." He shouted up at them. Joel pulled his 9mm from his waistband and gripped it tightly. "Get out of here!" He called back. "We ain't givin' this place off without a fight." The guy-Josiah, nodded his head.

"I ain't sure if you've noticed but, I have a tank!" He patted the barrel of it gently. Joel felt a growl growing inside of him, and fought against every fiber of his being. All he wanted to do was pull the trigger and blow this fucker's brains out. The only thing holding him back was the fact that they had a tank. A motherfucking _tank._

Joel swallowed thickly. This was wasn't anything like he'd ever dealt with, it was even worse than the Humvee in Pittsburgh-it was a goddamned _tank!_

_Relax Joel. Keep him talking, don't let him attack._ Joel took a deep breath. "We aren't givin' this place up. We've got more than enough men to take you on. If I were you I'd just turn right around and head on home!" This made Josiah chuckle. "Well, I'm glad you ain't me." Joel and Josiah stared down at each other, neither one moving. Josiah tilted one hand to the right. "Am I going to have to persuade you? Because I really don't want to have more blood on my hands than necessary." Joel didn't say anything, just stared coldly at Josiah.

For several more minutes, the two stared each other down. After several minutes, Josiah chuckled and jumped off of the tank before moving to one of the trucks on the side of it. He opened one of the back doors and pulled out two things: a machete...and Jamie. Joel felt his muscles stiffen as Josiah dragged the younger man towards the tank. There was a large cut on his forehead, and Joel was able to guess how Josiah had gotten a hold of Jamie. Josiah threw Jamie onto the front of the tank, and climbed up after him, putting him on his knees.

Joel heard a sharp intake of breath, and looked to his left. Rebecca was on the wall with a rifle in hand and was staring down at the tank with fear and worry showing clearly in her eyes. Joel could understand why, it was her _cousin_ after all. Josiah put the blade of the machete against the side of Jamie's neck. "You don't want me to do this, do you?" Joel looked into Jamie's eyes, and Jamie looked back. There seemed to be no fear, only a slight nervousness, as if he were just hoping it would be quick.

"Hold on!" Joel said. If he could just keep him talking long enough, maybe he could find a way to save Jamie and get the hell out of dodge at the same time. "Yes?"

Joel swallowed again, before saying: "Do you really want to do this? Do you want to go to war?" One of the man standing inside of the tank shouted loudly. "We want what you've got! Give it up asshole!" Joel didn't answer, only looked at Josiah.

"You don't have to do that. We can come to some kind of agreement, just..." _You'd better think fast Joel, he isn't going to hold back for long._ Joel cleared his throat. "You kill him, you'll have at least ten men, all great shots, gunning you down. Now I know you don't want to die, so just leave now. We both can easily live if we just keep clear of each other." Josiah tilted his head, almost as if he were considering Joel's offer. His eyes were thoughtful.

A grin flashed onto his face. He scoffed and shook his head. Without saying anything, Josiah gripped the machete with the other hand, threw them both back and swung like a baseball player at Jamie. The blade of the machete sliced into his neck, cutting right through the flesh, muscle, sinew and bone. Jamie's eyes glazed over and his head tilted to the left, the last bits of flesh and muscle keeping his neck connected to his shoulders tearing away. Jamie's head slowly fell from his shoulders and his body fell off of the tank. Joel heard Rebecca's breath hitch, and he felt his anger build up inside him until it burst. "_No!"_ He cried out, raising the 9mm and opening fire.

* * *

><p>Ellie and Devin fought with Tommy the whole way, doing their best to make Tommy let them stay and fight.<p>

"I am _not _going to have that kind of guilt restin' on my shoulders!" He eventually said. "If I let you stay and one of you dies, I would not be able to live with that guilt!" It was just after he said that that the scream pierced the air. "_No!"_ And then the gunshots began. First it was just one, then a whole cacophony of explosions. Tommy's head whipped back in the direction of the wall. "I need to get over there. Get to the bus!" Then he was running off towards the front wall. Ellie and Devin looked at each other. No words needed to be said, they both drew their guns and took off for the wall.

* * *

><p>"C'mon get on the bus, it doesn't look like there's a whole lot of room left." Chad said, pushing Angel onto the bus, Fang hopping on right behind her. "What about you?" She asked, sounding exhasperated. "I'll find out where the bus is going and meet you there. I can't let these guys fight whatever this is by themselves. Tommy helped us, I need to return the favor." Angel tried to open her mouth to argue, but then Chad was running off, crossbow at the ready. Angel growled angrily. "Where's this bus going?"She asked the man behind the wheel. "Uh...Bertrand Missouri, why?" Without answering him, Angel hopped from the bus and sped after Chad with Fang hot on her heals.<p>

* * *

><p>Joel's first shot sent a bullet into Josiah's hip. The second missed him completely. Josiah yelled something to the guy piloting the tank. He nodded his head, and suddenly the tank was moving towards the wall of the Hilltop. "Shit."Joel muttered, shooting several times. The other bandits opened fire, killing several of the others up on the wall. The tank was just feet from the wall. "Joel! We need to get out of here!" Joel looked at the ladder to see Jesus quickly climbing up. Joel nodded his head and quickly looked left and right. The only familiar face he saw was Rebecca's. She was sending heavy fire down on the bandits, most of her shots hitting their targets. "Rebecca! C'mon!" He grabbed her by the arm. She didn't struggle, but she didn't leave without sending several more bandits to their deaths. Jesus jumped from the ladder, and stepped back, leaning into the stock of his shotgun.<p>

Joel and Rebecca followed Jesus down. It was just after they got to the bottom that the tank slammed into the wall. It didn't take a whole lot. The wall came crashing down. The three of them ran quickly.

But suddenly Joel stopped. He turned and saw that scumbag Josiah firing at some of the fighters with a pistol. Joel couldn't contain his anger for much longer. He let out a cry and ran at Josiah. He tackled him, and slammed into him as hard as he could. Joel put his knees on Josiah's arms and punched him again, and again, and again. But Josiah was strong, and he got one arm free. With that, he rolled over, sending Joel to his back. Joel felt Josiah's fist crash into his face several times before his two big, meaty hands wrapped around his throat. He felt his airway being blocked, and he gasped and choked for breath. He struggled and fought, but Josiah was a big guy and Joel couldn't get him off with only one arm.

Joel felt himself dying, his vision was beginning to dull and his heart was beginning to slow down. Just as he was about to give up, gunshots rang out. One bullet ripped through Josiah's shoulder. He let out a scream. Another bullet tore through his chest, and an arrow ripped from his chest. Josiah coughed up blood, and fell forward onto Joel. Joel through the corpse off of him with a sound of disgust and looked up. There was Devin Ellie Rebecca and Jesus, along with the guy-Chad and his girl Angel trotting up to them. Chad seemed shocked to see she was even there.

Joel tried to stand, but felt a wave of nausea overcome him, and he nearly collapsed. "Hey man, you ain't looking so good." Chad said, hurrying over to him and pulling Joel's arm over his shoulder. Devin came over to help. "Tommy...where's Tommy?"

"Don't worry, he's fine." Devin grunted, helping Chad support Joel. "He's waiting for us by the manor, but we need to get the fuck out of here before the rest of the bandits give us their attention." They moved quickly, meeting up with Tommy near the manor. It only took them minutes to get to where the bus had been. And then they were on their way.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So that is the end of the Hilltop (I think we all knew that was coming considering the title of the story is: The Road)! But what did you guys think? What's going to happen to Joel and the gang now that their on the road once again? Are they going to make it to Bertrand Missouri? Are you guys mad at me for killing Jamie, the guy who would pick up Ellie comic books on runs? Well you'll find out what happens next time.<strong>

**~Exangellion**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

They walked, Joel up in front, Ellie and Devin at the back. Devin looked over at Ellie, wondering what she was thinking. Usually he was pretty good at reading her emotions (he was good with reading most people's emotions) but Ellie looked neutral, quiet as a rock. Reached up and swiped a hand down his face, stopping to adjust the gauze covering his empty eye socket. He took a deep breath through his nose, and exhaled through his mouth. He looked on either side of the road they were on and saw the sign. "Hey Joel." He said. Joel looked back at Devin, and he pointed to the sign. Joel took a look at it.

"Well, don't say nothin' about Missouri. Looks like we've still got a long way to go." He said after squinting at the faded and torn white letters of the sign. He walked back to the front of the procession and they continued on.

* * *

><p>That night, Joel found a decent-sized house to camp in, just off of the highway. After Joel and Tommy had made sure the place was clear, the rest stepped inside and settled in for the night.<p>

Devin moved softly up the stairs and looked in each bedroom, looking for things they could use. When he opened the master bedroom, he found something that made him sick. Two bodies lay on the bed, their corpses so old that the skin had dried up and grown taut over the bones. Flies swarmed in the room and the smell of decaying bodies was thick. Devin gagged and pulled the door shut. "Fuck," he muttered. He moved on down the hallway and peeked into the next room. It was a bathroom. Devin pulled out the drawers and opened the cabinets. He didn't find anything. He opened up the medicine cabinet. There he found one roll of gauze, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and a pack of old cigarettes. Devin opened up his backpack, and put the three items inside.

The other bedroom was a kid's bedroom, and Devin skimmed over it, not really thinking he would find anything in there. In the drawer of the desk, there were several Savage Starlight comics. Devin grinned, picked them up and walked back downstairs. He found Ellie sitting in what had been the living room, staring out of the window. Devin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach. "Hello beautiful." He said softly. "Found these for ya'." He held up the Savage Starlight comics. Ellie grinned and took them.

"Thanks." Devin nodded and placed a small kiss on Ellie's head. "C'mon." He pulled her over to the other side of the room and sat down with his back against the wall. He pulled Ellie down and had her sit with her back against his chest. Ellie picked up one of the comics, opened them and Devin held a flashlight for her. For a long time they sat like this, until Devin said; "We're not thinking." Ellie looked back at him, her brows furrowed. "What?" Devin shrugged his shoulders.

"We're just leaving the Hilltop without even figuring out what they want."

"Well we kind of almost died and they have a tank." Devin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I don't think we should just leave the Hilltop behind. We should at least see if it's possible to reclaim it." Ellie thought about this. It _would _be nice to be able to keep on living a somewhat normal life at the Hilltop, but she didn't really feel like dying. She exhaled loudly and leaned her head back, resting it against Devin's shoulder. "I'm not saying we have to, I just think we should." Ellie nodded lightly. Devin leaned his head forward, and left small butterfly kisses on Ellie's neck, sending shivers down her spine.

"Ellie, come on up here!" Ellie suddenly heard Joel call. With a huff, Devin put his head back against the wall and shut the flashlight off. Ellie climbed to her feet and walked up the stairs. Joel and Tommy were standing in the hallway, Joel with his hand on his hip. "You think you could go on up there and see if there's anything we could use?" Joel asked, pointing to a hole in the ceiling that led to the attic. Ellie nodded her head. Tommy stood under it and cupped his hands together for her to stand in. Ellie did, and Tommy lifted her up. She pulled herself up into the attic and switched on her flashlight. Dust circulated slowly through the air. The smell of rotting wood was strong and Ellie stepped very carefully around up there. With every step she took, the wood would creak loudly, and she would stop; worried that the wood would break beneath her.

"You see anything?" She heard Joel call. Ellie was about to tell him she didn't, when something caught her eye. It was in the corner, tucked away almost completely from view. Beside it was a rotting corpse. As she grew closer, the smell of decaying flesh grew stronger and she pulled the neck of her jacket over her nose. "Jeez," she muttered. When she reached the box, she pulled it to her and opened it up. When she saw what was inside she nearly passed out.

In the box was stacks and stacks of canned food. Not one of them had been touched. She couldn't believe the luck of it. She moved back to the hole and peered down at Joel and Tommy. "I'm gonna' need some help with this." A few moments later, Devin was climbing into the attic. Together the two of them dragged the box of canned goods carefully to the hole and lowered it down to Joel and Tommy. The two of them carried the box down to the kitchen, and Ellie and Devin jumped down from the attic.

"Man, whatta' find. I was starting to get hungry." As if on cue, Ellie heard Devin's stomach rumble. She let out a chuckle, and the two of them descended the stairs to get something to eat.

* * *

><p>After everyone had eaten and settled, Devin asked Joel Tommy Jesus and Maria to meet him in the kitchen. Once they were in there, he told them what he had told Ellie.<p>

"So you're tellin' me you want to go _back?_ There is no way in hell." Joel looked angry as hell at the proposition of going back to the Hilltop when it was infested with bandits. Devin shook his head. "I'm not saying it's a great idea, but we had a hell of a lot of supplies back there. If we could just somehow sneak in and-"

"No. There ain't no way we're gonna' do something that _stupid."_ Devin pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked over a Jesus. "C'mon man, help me out." Jesus shook his head. "You both got good points. The Hilltop is the last place we should be. But then again there are a lot of supplies there-mainly medicinal-that we could use. I just don't know how we'd get to it." Joel shook his head.

"Well, Ellie and I aren't goin' on no suicide mission. We just need to get to Bertrand." Tommy and Maria nodded in agreement. Devin huffed. "Fine. But I'm telling you we should go back."

"Well we ain't." Joel replied. Devin shook his head and stepped out of the kitchen. He flopped down on the couch and put a hand on his forehead. He felt an old anger beginning to rise in his stomach. A fury he hadn't felt in a long time. He counted back from ten and took deep breaths. Within several minutes, he was sleeping without any dreams, surrounded by a cold darkness.

* * *

><p>Two days later, the group left the house by the highway, and continued on their way. For hours they walked, no one talking. Joel spared a few glances in Rebecca's direction. She walked with her hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans, looking down at the cracked asphalt beneath their feet. Joel felt sympathetic for her. He knew exactly how it felt to see a loved one die. He knew the heartbreak she was going through. He looked at Chad, Angel and their dog several times as well. He still wasn't sure what to make of them. They seemed trustworthy enough, and yet, he had no idea if that was true or not.<p>

Joel looked back at Ellie and he felt a surge of affection flow through him. He thought; _If she ain't the word of God, God never spoke._

* * *

><p>Chad spotted the store first. It was just off the highway, an old and abandoned Wal-Mart. "Place might be ransacked already, but hey-shouldn't miss the chance." He said. Joel nodded his head. The group moved towards it. Joel pulled the 9mm from his waistband and held it tightly in his hand. When they reached the shattered front doors, he turned on his flashlight and looked carefully both ways. "You wanna' split up? We could cover more ground." Tommy said, sliding a round into the chamber of his rifle. Joel reluctantly nodded his head. "Yeah, maybe that's a good idea."<p>

"Let's split up. Meet back by the front doors once we're finished." He said to everyone else.

* * *

><p>Chad Angel and Fang walked slowly down the aisles. Chad had his crossbow drawn. In one aisle, he found an empty trash bag, and began to shove random things into it. Glass and plastic bottles, pots and pans. In one aisle, he found a jar of old and expired jelly and put it in his backpack. Angel scrunched her nose. "What? I haven't had jelly in a long time. Probably won't be as good expired though." Angel rolled her eyes and shook her head. Fang sniffed at some of the trash on the floor, looking for something to eat. Angel called for him to follow. Suddenly his ears pricked up, and he looked behind him and emitted a low, snarling growl.<p>

* * *

><p>Devin looked over every aisle with his flashlight, carefully unbuttoning his denim vest with one hand. "It's like a fucking sauna in here." He muttered to himself, picking up an energy bar and tossing it to Ellie. She put in in her backpack and crouched to pick up a few loose rounds that fit her pistol. "Look at this." Devin said, picking up an old rubber mask. "Zombie." Devin said, reading the tag attached to the mask. "Yeah, my dad used to say that the infected were kind of like these things." He said, tossing the mask over to Ellie. She caught it and looked at it. It was pretty creepy to see something from before the outbreak resemble something from <em>after<em> the outbreak. She dropped the mask.

Devin chuckled and crouched. "Found some beans." He said. "Mmm beans." he added sarcastically.

Something behind them crunched underfoot, and they both whipped around.

* * *

><p>Joel, Rebecca and Jesus moved almost silently, making little noise with each step they took. Joel picked up various supplies as they walked, seeming to catch anything of value with his eyes. It was something he had become good at over the last twenty-one years. "Hey Joel...come here." He heard Jesus say. He walked over. Jesus was standing by an overturned shelf, peering at the other side with disgust. Joel looked and scrunched his nose. There was a dead body crucified to the floor. Beneath the corpse were letters written in blood. <em>Sinner. <em>Jesus shook his head and ran a hand down his face. "Kind of ironic if you ask me." He said. Joel stepped away.

It was after he had stepped away that hands wrapped around him. Out of instinct, he sunk his teeth into the arm around his neck, and bit through human flesh.

* * *

><p>Tommy and Maria were at the back of the store when Tommy caught sight of the employee bathrooms. "Let's check out the bathrooms." Maria nodded and the two approached them carefully. Tommy gripped the doorknob, glanced at Maria, who nodded, and pulled the door open. Someone was on the other side, and they opened fire on Tommy and Maria.<p>

* * *

><p>Fang sprinted like lightning down the aisle, and someone shot at the dog. Whoever they were had fired too late, Fang was upon them. He lunged forward, knocked the man to the floor and sunk his teeth into the man's neck. Blood flowed from his jugular as the dog yanked it's head from side to side, not stopping until the man had stopped shaking. Another gunshot rang out, distant. Then another and Chad felt a bullet rip through his shoulder. He let out a yell and stumbled back. Angel drew her pistol, aimed and pulled the trigger. Whoever had fired fell to the floor with a thump. Chad could hear the sound of more feet moving their way. "Go...get to the doors." He stumbled to his feet, whistled for Fang and began to run.<p>

* * *

><p>Devin didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger of the .357 and blood and grey matter splattered onto the floor, along with the body of whoever it was. Another person jumped out from behind a shelf and Devin popped off two more rounds. Ellie drew her own pistol and pulled the trigger. The man fell to the floor and his blood pooled around him. "We need to find the others." Devin moved around the aisle, and felt something slam into his face. His head whipped the side and he fell onto his back. He scuttled back and fired. The guy who had hit him fell on top of him. Devin threw the corpse off of him and climbed to his feet. "What the fuck?"<p>

He heard someone else coming. "Come on, there's got to be another way out of here."

* * *

><p>Whoever was holding Joel let out a scream and staggered back. Joel spun, and slammed his fist into the guy's face. He stumbled, giving Joel enough time to shoot him. "Rebecca, Jesus c'mon." Jesus went to follow, when a machete ripped through his back and out of his stomach. Blood flew from his mouth, and drizzled down his neck and chest. Rebecca aimed her pistol and shot Jesus' attacker dead. Jesus fell onto his side, coughing up blood. "...Go." He got out. Joel didn't need to be asked twice. He grabbed Rebecca's wrist and pulled her along. The two sprinted for the front of the store.<p>

* * *

><p>The bullet pierced Maria's stomach and blood quickly began to stain her shirt. "No!" He yelled he shot Maria's attacker and grabbed her before she could fall. He scooped her up bridal style, her blood leaking onto him. He grimaced and began to move. He was closer to the back and he headed for the back doors. He reached one, and kicked the door open. He was met by a cool breeze. He got out and began to run around to the front of the Wal-Mart.<p>

* * *

><p>Devin found a side door-a kind of loading bay. There was a garage door and Devin pulled it open. Ellie put a shopping cart under it and the two crouched under before sprinting. Devin could see a tree-line about two hundred yards away. Behind them there was the sudden revving of an engine and he looked back to see a truck. "What the <em>fuck?" <em> He shouted, picking up the pace. All they had to do was make it to the treeline.

The truck was too close for comfort when they did. Devin pulled Ellie into the thicket and heard the squealing of the breaks before the truck slammed into a tree. "Keep running. Don't stop." Devin said between breaths. Behind them, he could hear one of the doors opening. They just needed to keep running. If they could loose their attacker in the trees, they would be fine. They would be golden.

* * *

><p>Joel and Rebecca, Chad Angel and Fang, and Tommy and Maria met up in front of the Wal-Mart. When Joel saw Maria, he felt his blood run cold. "C'mon, we need to get her somewhere and loose these fuckers at the same time." He looked around. "Where's Ellie?"<p>

"We can't look for her right now." Chad said, gripping the sleeve of Joel's shirt and pulling him. They began to run.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, what did you guys think (Oh, and we won't be seeing the creepy Wal-Mart people again, they were just a plot device)? Sorry for all of the chapter breaks, I just felt the chapter should have more than one point of view.<strong>

**What's going to happen to Ellie and Devin now that they're separated from Joel and the gang? Are you unhappy with me for killing Jesus? Was the crucified corpse a little too much? What's going to happen to Maria? You'll find out on the next chapter of: The Last Of Us: The Road**

**~Exangellion**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Devin and Ellie ran, their feet pounding against the underbrush and the roots and hard packed dirt. Sweat poured down their bodies, their chests heaved. They had running for God knew how long and Ellie felt as if the world were spinning around her. Devin's legs felt like jelly. His back ached. His shoulders were rubbed raw by the straps of his backpack. His heart raced in his chest and his head throbbed. He knew he couldn't go any longer. Neither of them could.

They came into a clearing with tall grass, coming up almost to their waist. There, Devin let his legs fall out from under him and Ellie did the same. They both lied there in the grass, panting and sweating, trying to catch their breaths. Neither one spoke, they just tried to keep themselves from fainting. To faint in the open could mean death.

Neither one of them were willing to die.

* * *

><p>Joel sat with his back against the rusted remains of a car. His arm rested on his knee, his blood-soaked hand was shaking. He stared off into space, seeing something that was a million miles away. Memories were arising in his brain. He saw Sarah, crying and whimpering, his voice filled with pain and agony. He saw Ellie in his arms as he ran through Saint Mary's Hospital, evading fireflies. And he saw Maria, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. He saw her breathing stop. He felt her body go limp. He kept reliving these moments and no matter how hard he tried they would not leave his head. He took several deep breaths, and put his hand to his forehead, feeling the blood he was leaving there. He didn't care.<p>

Joel struggled to his feet, feeling his legs shake. He behind him. They had set up a small camp by a little river. Chad sat with his legs crossed and he was sharpening the blade of a hatchet with a rock. His crossbow hung from his shoulder. Angel lay on her back staring up at the sky with her hands tucked behind her head. Her dog had it's head resting on her stomach and was eyeing him intensely. Rebecca was crouched on the floor and was scratching something into the dirt. And then there was Tommy. He was separated from the rest, on his knees next to Maria. Joel walked slowly over and crouched down next to him. He looked at Maria's lifeless body and felt a pang of guilt go through him. If only he had tried harder...maybe if he had known a little more about all of that medical mumbo-jumbo maybe he would've been able to keep her alive long enough to stitch her up.

But no, she had bled out before he could even get the first medkit open.

Now Tommy was a widower, and sat kneeling beside his deceased wife, his hand cupped beneath her head, holding her with tender care. It almost brought Joel to tears. "Tommy...we need to go. If you want, I can help you bury her first. We need to go." Tommy didn't speak. Only squeezed his eyes closed and nodded his head. Joel felt that pang of guilt again. He stood and walked back to where he had been sitting before. As he walked past Angel, he felt worry and fear fill him. This was the first time he really had a chance to think about Ellie and what could have happened to her. He wanted to believe that she and Devin had gotten out of there, had somehow gotten out alive and escaped...but those fuckers at the Wal-Mart had been fast. They had moved with a silence Joel had never seen before. But he didn't care.

He needed to get to Bertrand. Joel knew that if Ellie had made it out, she would try and get to Bertrand. He would do the same.

* * *

><p>After they had finished burying Maria, Joel and Tommy got the rest of the group and they packed up. Tommy squatted by Maria's grave and gently patted the ground she was under. He felt the tears leaking out of his eyes and he sniffed. "I love you." He said, standing and slinging his pack and his rifle over his shoulder before turning and following the others.<p>

They walked for a long time. Joel wasn't sure how long it was, without Ellie time just seemed to blend together. He stared ahead, just thinking. When darkness fell, Joel found a nice quiet spot just out of view of the highway and they set up camp. Joel sat with his back against a tree and stared ahead. He looked down at his right hand. It was still stained with Maria's blood.

Joel let his arm rest on his knees and he looked ahead. He didn't move again, not until Rebecca sat down next to him. "You okay?" She asked. Joel took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know _what_ I'm feelin'" Rebecca nodded.

"They're fine." Joel looked at her again. "Huh?"

"Devin and Ellie. They're fine. We'll find 'em in Bertrand." Joel nodded his head. Rebecca leaned over and rested her head on Joel's shoulder. Joel tensed for just a moment, but soon relaxed. Hesitantly he put an arm around Rebecca's shoulders.

_They're fine._

* * *

><p>Devin and Ellie came out of the woods and onto some kind of back road. Behind them, Devin could hear the horde of infected getting close. He looked around them. On the other end of the street was some old and rusted car, an Acura, like the one his parents had had before they croaked. Devin motioned for Ellie to follow and he jogged over. The trunk was standing open and Devin let Ellie get in before he climbed in himself. He pulled the door of the trunk a part of the way down, used one of the clothing articles to tie the trunk door the latch on the top of the bumper and sat there cross-legged, the .357 pointed at the door.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Uh-oh! Devin and Ellie are now trapped in an Acura with a horde of infected moving by outside. Maria is dead, Tommy isn't going to be doing so well.<strong>

**What did you guys thin? I'm going to try-TRY to get another chapter up tonight. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I will see you next time.**

**~Exangellion **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

**AN: Okay, for all of you who have been wanting to see more of Ellie and Devin, you won't have to worry. This chapter is going to focus only on those two.**

* * *

><p>Devin's back hurt and his legs had fallen asleep. The horde of infected had been moving through the area for the last hour and a half and he hadn't moved since he and Ellie had gotten inside of the trunk of the Acura. He kept the .357 aimed at the open space between the door and the bumper, silently praying that the infected wouldn't discover them.<p>

It seemed like days had passed when the horde had finally gone through. When there was nothing but silence, Devin waited several minutes to make sure that there weren't going to be any surprises. Then he pushed the door of the Acura up and climbed out. Ellie followed and the two carefully surveyed the back road they were on. Devin didn't say anything, just walked around the Acura, scanning it carefully. Eventually, he used his elbow to smash out the glass of the driver's seat door. He unlocked it and began to pilfer through it. He came out with a trash bag and began to stuff things into it. He put in a bit of rope, two of the car's hubcaps, a bottle of Peach Schnapps. Devin pulled the driver's seat forward and looked in the back. There he found a ratty old blanket. It was thick, and Devin shook it to make sure there were no bugs in it before he stuffed stuffed it into the trash bag as well. When he was finished, he slung the bag over his shoulder, put the .357 in it's holster on his hip and began walking down the road.

"C'mon. We need to get back to the highway." Ellie followed. They walked in silence, both of them making almost no noise at all. Devin stared straight ahead, his face neutral, about as blank as a stone wall.

When they made it to the highway, Devin dropped the trash bag onto the cracked asphalt. "Wait right here. I'm gonna' see if I can't find a decent spot to camp." He then moved back into the trees, disappearing from view. Ellie sat down on the edge of the highway and rested her chin on her knees. She found her thoughts turning to Joel. Had he made it out? Was he alright? What about the others? Were any of them even still alive? She knew that if Joel had made it out of the Wal-Mart, he would continue on his way to Bertrand. She would just have to get herself there, and pray that Joel would make it as well.

"Ellie, found us a place." Devin's voice suddenly said behind her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Devin picked up his trash bag and began to move again. Ellie climbed back to her feet and the two moved through the trees until they came to very small clearing. Devin set the bag down and pulled the things out of it. He took the rope and fed it through the two hubcaps before tying both ends to different trees. He checked to make sure his makeshift alarm system worked before he dropped his pack, opened it up and pulled out the two small blankets he had from the Hilltop. He laid the thick blanket down on the floor, spread it out and then laid the two smaller blankets on top of it.

Once he had their makeshift bed made, Devin plopped down on it, picked up the bottle of Peach Schnapps, opened it up and took a swig of it. He grimaced and swallowed. "God I fucking _hate _Peach Schnapps. Worst alcohol ever." He looked at Ellie, who was leaning against the tree and watching him. He held out an arm. "Wanna' drink?" Ellie shook her head, deciding it wouldn't be wise to get wasted while out in the open like this. Devin shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself." He took another swig, grimaced again and leaned back, using his pack as a pillow.

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><p>Ellie lay on their makeshift bed, staring up at the stars. The moon was hidden behind the trees, making it dark. Underneath Ellie's head was her backpack, stretched over her stomach was Devin's arm. His eye was closed and he was breathing evenly, his face neutral even in his sleep. She shifted around a bit, trying to get comfortable, but it just seemed impossible. She didn't like being out in the open like this. They were vulnerable, and could get attacked from almost any direction. She looked at Devin again. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw his icy blue eyes staring at her.<p>

"You alright?" He asked, clearing his throat, turning his head away and spitting onto the grass. Ellie put a hand on her forehead. "Never do that again."

"What?"

"Stare at me like that. You scared the shit out of me." Devin grinned and chuckled. "Sorry about that." He moved his arm from around her and sat up. He grabbed his backpack and put it on his lap before opening it and pulling out a roll of gauze. He unwrapped his head and Ellie was able to see his empty eye socket. She shivered. Devin re-wrapped his head and leaned back again. "We're gonna' have to try and find more supplies tomorrow. We don't have a enough to last us all of the way to Bertrand." Ellie nodded her head. Devin slung an arm over Ellie's stomach again and pulled her close. Soon, he was asleep again.

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><p>It was nearly three in the afternoon the next day when Ellie and Devin came across the country club. Devin looked at Ellie. "You wanna' check it out?" Ellie shrugged her shoulders. Devin began in the direction of the country club. Ellie followed. When they reached the front door, Devin tried to open it, but it was boarded up on the other side. "Well, no getting in this way. Let's..." He was looking past Ellie. "You gotta' be fucking kidding me." He said. Ellie looked back and felt her blood run cold. There was a pack of infected moving in their direction. About six runners, a few straggling clickers as well. They had caught sight of Devin and Ellie.<p>

"C'mon...come on!" Devin hopped over the railing of the porch by the front door and hurried around the country club. Ellie moved just as fast. The two moved around to the back door. Devin found the back door to the country club and kicked it open. He motioned for Ellie to go inside and went in after her. He closed the door behind him, twisted the bolt lock and they moved deep into the country club. "I think we'll be fine in here if we stay quiet." Devin whispered. He walked down the hallway they were in, and pushed open one of the doors. When he saw what was on the other side, he grimaced and stepped back. "Ah...man." Ellie looked in. There were three people hanging from the ceiling with nooses wrapped around their necks. There were sheets of paper stabbed into each corpse. From left to right the sheets read:

_Cheat; controlling; rich bitch. _Ellie grabbed the door handle and pulled it closed. Devin shook his head and took a deep breath. "Jeez man." He said, shaking his head. They were both quiet for a moment. "Come on, let's search the place." They began to move down the hallway. In each room they searched, they found more and more gruesome images. Devin felt as if they were moving through the nine circles of hell, like in the epic his father had had him read; The Inferno.

When they reached the double doors that would lead to the kitchen, Devin waited a second with his hand on the door handle. When he was sure he was ready, he opened the door, stepped inside and closed his eyes. There was a little girl on the kitchen floor, her corpse probably two or three days old. A bullet hole in her right temple, a pool of dried blood around her head. "Fuck man." Devin muttered, scrubbing a hand through his hair. He took in a deep breath, and let it out. After several minutes, he stepped out of the kitchen and moved back towards the back door. "Let's the hell out of here." Ellie followed.

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><p>Devin and Ellie walked. Devin wasn't sure how long it had been. He couldn't get the image of the dead little girl out of his head. Devin looked down at the asphalt and rubbed a hand down the back of his neck. He scrubbed it down his face, stopping at his chin and cheeks. He was beginning to grow a beard. He scratched his forehead and looked up, and stopped. There was a group of people walking onto the road.<p>

"Well hello there." It was a deep voice. Acting out of instinct, Devin drew the .357 and aimed it at the man who had spoke-an older guy dressed in a camouflage vest, olive green cargo pants and work boots. His hair reached his shoulders and was a light gray. The man chuckled. "What is that? A .357 Colt Python? A very powerful revolver you got there." Devin cocked the hammer back. "We ain't gonna' hurt ya' kid. As a matter of fact, I think it would be wise to bring you in." Devin shook his head. The man chuckled.

"Here, let me introduce myself." The man held out a hand. "I'm Joe." Devin didn't shake it. Joe huffed. "Strength in numbers kid. We're just travelin'. If you're tryin' to get somewhere, we might be able to help." Devin looked back at Ellie, who was watching Joe carefully. Devin thought it over. Maybe he and Ellie could use these people to help them get to Bertrand, or at least somewhere close to it, and then leave them. The guy, Joe, was probably right. Strength in numbers. Devin squeezed his eye shut for just a moment before shoving the .357 into his holster.

"Name's Devin."

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><p><strong>AN: Alrighty. The next chapter will be mostly about Ellie and Devin, but we will see Joel and the gang as well. <strong>

**But what did you guys think? Who the hell is this guy Joe? Is he really trustworthy? What's going on with Joel and the gang? Find out the answers to all of these things and more in the next chapter.**

~**Exangellion**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

They had found the house later, the day after Maria's passing. Joel had pointed it out, and after a small discussion, the others agreed it would be a good idea to see if the place would be a good one to hole up in. Joel approached the door first. He gripped the doorknob and tried it. When the door didn't open, he stepped back and kicked the door it. He drew the 9mm and kept it trained in front of him as he stepped inside, Tommy following him. The two went through the house, searching for either infected or other people-anything that could surprise them. Once the two were sure it was safe, Joel stepped out and motioned for the others.

Once they were settled, Joel opened up a can of peaches and began to eat. He sat on the ground with his back against the wall, staring off into space as he chewed on the expired fruit. He found himself thinking of Ellie. He wondered what she was doing, if she was alright. He wondered if she and Devin were even alive. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He took several deep breaths and tried to keep himself calm. Tried not to show the fear he had for Ellie, his babygirl. Once he had finished the peaches, he set the can down on the floor and climbed slowly to his feet.

Joel walked up the stairs and looked in each and every bedroom. Joel went through the master bedroom to the balcony, and stood in the cool night air, listening to the silence. It was calming, the air outside was clean and Joel enjoyed the fresh air. As he stood there, he thought more about Ellie. He couldn't help but feel so much worry for her. So many things could be happening to her. Joel put his head down and rubbed his forehead. Joel counted back from ten and slowly began to relax. He stared up at the stars, tried to outline the constellations.

"Beautiful out here, huh?" Joel looked at Rebecca as she stood beside him and leaned against the railing of the balcony. "I lived in Las Vegas before the Cordyceps hit. Never was able to see the stars like this." Joel nodded his head. He thought about life before the Cordyceps. It was funny-he could barely remember the feeling of waking up without wondering if he was going to make it too see the next day. He wondered if he would ever live a life like that again. He severely doubted it. He doubted he'd ever see that kind of world again.

Joel looked over at Rebecca again. He saw the pained look in her eyes, the look that hadn't left her since the day her cousin Jamie had been cut down. He hadn't mentioned it once, but he felt he needed to say something, give her some kind of reassurance. With a bit of hesitation, he moved his hand and put it on top of yours. Rebecca looked down at it for a second.

"I'm sorry about Jamie. I tried to keep everythin' calm for as long as I could." Rebecca nodded her head. "Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll live...just wish he was here." Joel could understand that. He looked back at the stars. "I'm gonna' hit the hay. Night Joel." Rebecca said, stepping away from the railing and moving back into the house. "Night."

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><p>The next day, Tommy was in the house, alone. Joel and the rest had gone out to look for supplies, they'd agreed it would be best to go out in numbers, and Joel had told Tommy to stay there. Said he wanted Tommy to be able to have some time alone. Tommy had to admit, he didn't really mind.<p>

Tommy eased onto the queen sized bed in the master bedroom, a book he'd found-_The Road_-in his hand. He put his head on the ratty, old pillow and opened the book to the first page. He read and listened to the house. It was dead quiet. There was a cold breeze blowing outside, and it seemed to seep through every crack in the house. The house smelled of rotting wood, blood, and expired food. As Tommy read, he slowly began to feel himself drift off into sleep. He tried to stay awake and read, but he couldn't keep his eyelids open. Soon, they closed, enveloping him in an almost never-ending darkness.

He didn't know how long he was asleep. It couldn't have been too long, the sun was still rising in the east. He listened intently. There were voices downstairs, none of them were voices he could recognize.

There were more people in the house.

Tommy heard the sound of feet pounding up the stairs. Tommy got up off of the bed, grabbed his pack off of the floor, shoved the book in it and slid under the bed. He felt sweat beginning to bead up on his forehead. From where he lay, he saw a pair of feet step into the room. They sauntered over to the bed, and Tommy felt it sag under the weight of whoever it was. Whoever they were, they lied down on the bed, and the bottom of the mattress sagged down, touching Tommy's back. Tommy did his best to stay as still as he could. He lay there for a long time. He saw another pair of feet step into the door frame, and whoever was lying on the bed said: "Claimed." The pair of feet standing in the doorway moved off down the hall.

Tommy lied there for a long time. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but snoring began to emanate from the top of the bed. As slowly and quietly as he could, Tommy slid out from under the mattress. He had let Rebecca take his rifle out on the run with her, so all he grabbed was his pack from under the bed. He quietly pulled that on over his shoulders, crouched and crept from the bedroom. He took a left in the hallway. He knew there was a window in the bathroom. When he reached the bathroom door, he looked back to make sure there was no one there, and slid inside.

There was someone standing by the toilet. He swung at Tommy. Tommy stumbled back into the sink. He slammed into the guy, and pulled them both to the floor. He winced at the loud bang the sound of their bodies falling made. He just _knew_ someone had heard that. He wrapped an arm around the guy's throat and sqeezed. He struggled and fought. Tommy tightened his grip. The guy was trying so hard to get out, but he couldn't. Tommy couldn't believe how long it was taking the guy to die, if he didn't croak soon he knew someone would walk in, and then he'd be toast.

He heard footsteps moving up the stairs. He tightened his grip even more. Several seconds after, the guy Tommy was choking stopped shaking and went still. Tommy quickly climbed to his feet and pulled the window open. He took one look back at the bathroom door before jumping out and plummeting to the floor below him. He landed with a hard thud and began to jog off after he'd gotten his balance. It was half a mile down the road that he caught sight of Joel and the rest coming his way.

"There's someone in the house, we can't go back there." Joel looked past Tommy. "Did anyone follow you?" Tommy shook his head. Joel looked past him one more time.

"Alright. It's a good thing you're okay. Let's get back to the highway and get on goin'."

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><p>Devin kept crouched, a hunting rifle in his hands. Ellie and he had kept on with Joe and his little group, and set up camp that night just off of the highway. Devin had awoken early, and searched the surrounding area. When he'd found the hunting rifle, he'd decided it would be a good idea to go hunting.<p>

Now he stood crouched, watching a rabbit through the scope of the rifle. His left hand was clenched tightly around the barrel of the rifle, the pointer-finger of his right hand on the trigger. Devin put a little weight on, and made sure he had his shot lined up. He took a deep breath, and readied himself to pull the trigger. There was a sudden blast, and the rabbit was knocked over, dead. Devin hadn't pulled the trigger. He spun around, and there was one of the men from Joe's group-a balding, middle-aged man by the name of Lem.

"What the fuck man?" Devin asked, walking over to the rabbit's corpse and picking it up by the neck. "You're holdin' my rabbit there." Devin looked at him.

"I've been out here since before the sun came up."

"Rules of the hunt don't matter. That rabbit, it's claimed." Devin furrowed his eyebrows. "_What?"_ Lem watched him closely.

"It's that bitch ain't it?" Devin was slightly taken aback by this. "What?"

"It's that bitch, got you all messed up huh? She a young'un? Cause...they don't last long." Devin felt his blood boil as he realized that Lem was talking about Ellie. He clenched his fist, and felt his hand go to his back pocket, where Ellie's knife was (he'd "borrowed" it before going out on his hunt). He pulled it out and pressed the button. He stepped forward, preparing to sink the blade in Lem's eye when a hand grabbed him around the wrist.

"Woah there partner, let's calm down." Devin looked back to see Joe. "Now what's this little spat about?" He asked as Devin slid the knife back into his pocket.

"He's got my rabbit Joe. It's claimed, and he ain't givin' it up." If Devin hadn't been so pissed, he would've found this statement funny. Lem sounded like a four year old.

Joe looked at Devin. "That true? Did Lem claim the rabbit?"

"That's right, I did. We gonna' teach him?" Joe looked over at Lem, then back at Devin. He grabbed the rabbit, and Devin tightened. "Relax." He pulled on the rabbit again, and walked over to a tree, he placed the rabbit against it, produced a buck knife from a sheath hanging from his belt and slammed the blade against the rabbit. He tossed the top half to Lem and the lower half to Devin. Devin looked at it.

"Hey, ass-end is better than no end." Joe said, patting Devin on the back and following Lem. Devin watched him go before shaking his head in disgust and putting the rabbit in his pack.

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><p>As they walked, Joe talked to Devin.<p>

"Look, I've just put down some ground rules, so things don't go Darwin every couple hours. Rule one:" He held up his first finger. "Is claimed. It's how you pick where you sleep, what game is yours and what supplies you find are yours. Two: You don't lie. If you break either one, you get teached, which in simple terms is a ravenous beating-the severity of which depends on the general mood of the day." Devin watched Joe carefully out of the corner of his eye. Joe pointed ahead. "Look at that. Grocery store. We'll stay there."

Devin stopped, Ellie followed his example. "There's no we." Joe stopped and looked back at him. "Are you leavin' right now?" Devin was silent. "Then it sure looks like there's a we." He reached into his pack and produced a cigarette. He stuck it in the corner of his mouth and lit it with a match.

"Do you like cats?" He asked Devin. "I do, vicious creatures. And let me tell you somethin'. There ain't nothin' worse than an outdoor cat, thinks he's an indoor cat." Joe turned and began down the road towards the grocery store. Devin watched him carefully. "I'm not a fan of these guys." Ellie said. Devin nodded. "Me neither."

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><p><strong>AN: Man, it's been a while! Sorry about that, my girlfriend and I were moving into an apartment together (I finally moved out!), and I didn't realize how long it would take until we actually started moving. But anyway, I'm back.<strong>

**So, what did you guys think? Is Joe trustworthy? Are these guys the same guys who were in the house with Tommy (and if so, did Tommy kill one of them)? How long are Ellie and Devin going to stay with the "Claimed Gang?" Are Devin and Ellie ever going to be reunited with Joel and the gang? And if so, will they still be with the Claimed Gang? Well, I'm not at liberty to say, but if you keep on reading, you'll find out soon enough.**

**~Exangellion**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

For several days they traveled. Devin and Ellie didn't speak to Joe and his group all that much, Ellie was sure they only talked at least three times in the few days they had been together. Everyday, Devin seemed to become more and more angry as well. He never lashed out, but she could see it in his eye. He was a very angry and upset person, she knew it was because of that creep with the weird name: Lem. Ellie wasn't sure what he said to Devin, but she could tell it was really beginning to cause some serious inner turmoil. Devin seemed to be constantly considering putting a bullet in all of them.

Everyone that is, except Joe. Joe seemed to be the only one of them that was still somewhat on Devin's good side. Probably because Joe didn't seem to really do anything except tell Devin how people like "them" survived. People who were born with a natural talent of keeping themselves alive.

Ellie was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by Devin's elbow nudging into her ribs. She looked at him. He was looking ahead and pointed. "An old auto-body shop. Might be a good place to camp." He said. Joe heard this and studied it. "Yep, ole Devin's got a point boys." Then he was moving off in that direction. Devin adjusted the strap of his pack before following.

They searched the auto-body shop and quickly found that it was clear. After several moments, several shouts of "Claimed!" filled the air, and Devin found a nice cozy spot in the corner to lay down. He made a bed out of the thick blanket and two thinner ones like he had done the first night he and Ellie had been separated from the rest. Devin put his pack under his head and laced his fingers over his stomach. Ellie lay beside him and pulled one of the blankets over her after she'd kicked her shoes off. There was a cold breeze blowing, and several windows were missing, making it colder inside. Devin pulled her close and put his blanket over her as well. He reached into his pack and pulled out a button-down denim shirt and put it on over his denim vest.

For the longest time the two of them lied there, and soon Devin was feeling himself drifting off into sleep.

He was awoken by someone harshly kicking him in the side, he jerked awake and sat up. It was Lem, and it seemed his racket had awoken the rest as well. Joe was standing close by, watching the two intently. "You took my half of that rabbit." Devin automatically jumped to his feet, feeling the anger boil up inside of him at the accusation. "I didn't steal your shit." Was his reply. Lem got real close, and Devin held his ground. "I didn't take your shit." Devin said again, his voice a growl. Ellie had stood as well, and he felt her tense behind him.

"Joe, let's search his bag." Lem said. Devin scoffed. "Go right ahead." Joe nodded his head, walking over, bending down and picking up the pack. He opened it up, looked inside...and pulled out both halves of the rabbit. Lem gave Devin an evil grin. Devin couldn't believe it. Joe looked between the two of them.

"Now we've got quite the conundrum on our hands." He said, putting his hands on his hips. "Now, Devin could have stolen the other half of the rabbit, which _would_ be breaking a rule. That would result in teach." He looked over at Lem. "Or, did you plant it there like a pussy coward? Now, while that wouldn't exactly be breaking the rules, I would be very disappointed."

"I didn't plant nothin'." Joe nodded his head, and looked at Devin, who tensed. He put a hand to the grip of the .357. But Joe did something completely unexpected. He spun back to face Lem, and slammed a fist into his face. Lem fell off of his feet from the force of the blow. "Lyin' sack of _shit,_ I'm sick of him. Teach him boys, teach him all the way!" The other three began to beat Lem, kicking him, beating him with their fists and whatever they were carrying. While they were busy doing that, Joe turned to Devin and Ellie.

"I saw him plant the rabbit in your bag." He said. Devin's eyes widened slightly. "Then why didn't you stop him?" Ellie asked. Devin nodded in agreement with the question. Joe shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, he wanted to play that out, I let him." Joe bent down and picked up both halves of the rabbit. He tossed them to Devin and Ellie. "For your troubles."

* * *

><p>Joel, Rebecca, Chad and Angel and Fang sat by the fire. Tommy was dozing off a little to the side. "I'm so hungry." Rebecca moaned, rocking back a little and looking up at the sky. Chad chuckled and looked at Angel. "On a scale of one to ten, how hungry are you?"<p>

"Fifteen." She said.

"Thirty-two." Rebecca chimed in. Joel shook his head, a half-grin on his face at the exchange. Chad pulled his pack from his shoulders and opened it and sifted through it. He pulled out a can of beans and opened it before holding it out to Angel. Angel took them and tipped the can back and let some of the beans pour into her mouth. As she ate, she gently stroked Fang, admiring his sleek black coat of fur. Chad watched her for a moment with a grin and leaned back, crossing his arms under his head. After a few moments, Angel looked at Joel and Rebecca, and passed the can of beams to them. Joel ate only a few before giving the can to Rebecca. They sat in silence for a long time.

Chad exhaled. "I wish life could be this calm all of the time." Rebecca chuckled. "Amen to that." Joel nodded in agreement. Chad sat up, popped his back and went to stand, when guns were put to their heads. "You screwed up asshole." A voice behind Joel said.

**Earlier in the day:**

Devin woke up slowly, his eyes fluttering open, his vision showing him the ceiling high above him. He sat up slowly, feeling Ellie stir beside him. He looked around him, seeing Joe and the other three packing their things. "Mornin'." Joe said with a bright smile. Devin nodded before motioning for Ellie to move. Then he was packing up their stuff. Ellie stood and pulled her backpack over her shoulders. Neither of them spoke as they packed up their things. When they were all packed and ready, Devin and Ellie followed Joe out of the door, and onto the road once again.

* * *

><p>"We're gettin' close." Joe said, crouched down in the frosty dirt, looking at the tracks. "Close to what?" Devin asked, walking up beside him. Joe stood. "The day we met you, someone killed one of our boys. He died on the can, if you can believe it. Was choked to death. We've been trackin' the ones who did it." Joe looked around him. Devin did the same, and his eyes stopped when he caught sight of loose shells that would fit his hunting rifle. He saw one of the other men from the group move forward to pick them up, but Devin was quicker. "Claimed." He said, picking up the shells, pulling back the bolt of the rifle and putting the round into the chamber.<p>

When he looked back at Ellie, she was watching him carefully. "What?" He asked as they began to walk again. He shook his head. "I just wanted the rounds to the rifle." When all he got was a quirked eyebrow, he chuckled. "Look, I think we've made it far enough. If you want, we'll split and go the rest of the way on our own, but not until tonight. I want us to get as far as I can with these guys. We shouldn't be on our own out here for long." Ellie huffed. "Fine." She said after a long stretch of silence. Devin grinned and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Relax, everything's cool." Ellie rolled her eyes and Devin snorted.

* * *

><p>Joel didn't move. He felt the barrel of a pistol pressed against his temple. Whoever had spoken had a deep voice, and was obviously preparing to splatter his, and everyone else's, brains across the floor. One of them had awoken Tommy and was holding him with a gun to his head as well. When told to, Angel had told Fang to stay put. The dog hadn't tried to attack anyone. Joel looked at Chad, who looked back. What were they going to do? Then he heard the voice.<p>

"Joe?" Joel felt himself freeze. Was that who he thought it was?" He looked a little to the left, and sure enough, there was Devin and Ellie. "You're interruptin' me Devin. What is it?" Devin looked at Joel and everyone else. "...These are good people Joe. Just let 'em go." Joel swallowed thickly. Joel heard whoever was behind him (Joe) chuckle.

"These are good people? Now, I don't like speakin' for other people but I'm going to have to do just that for old Lou-the man these two killed."

"Joe, they're good people." Devin repeated. Joe was silent for a few minutes. "You're sayin' the people that killed Lou are good people. Now, that would be a lie. Teach him Lem. Teach him all the way." Before Devin could react, Lem slammed a fist into his face and began to beat him. Joe motioned to Ellie with his other hand. One of the others tried to grab Ellie by the arm, but she moved to fast. She yanked her hand free, and pulled her knife. She spun it, stabbed it into his arm. The man stepped back with a yell, before stepping forward again and slamming a fist into her. She fell back.

Joel felt anger flare up inside of him. He wanted to run and bash the fucker's head in, but he couldn't move without risking being shot. He looked into Chad's eyes, then looked down at the hatchet hanging from his belt. Chad's eyes followed his, and he got the picture. After several seconds, he moved faster than Joel had expected. He grabbed the handle of his hatchet with his right hand, pulled it out and spun in one fluid motion. The blade sunk into the neck of the guy holding him and he stumbled back, clutching at his bleeding throat. Chad rolled and picked up his crossbow. Joel threw his head back, slamming it into Joe's nose with enough force to break it. Joe let out a yell and stumbled back. Chad fired a bolt at the guy with the gun to Angel's head. It sunk into his shoulder. Angel stood, pulled her gun and fired once, her bullet lodging itself in his forehead.

Rebecca grabbed her rifle from beside the fire and aimed it at Lem, who tried to run. There was an explosion and Lem fell onto his face, blood gushing from the wound in his back. Joel spun around, but a fist collided with his face. He stepped back. Joe swung again, and they grappled. Joel felt his hand wrapping around his throat. Joel's grip on Joe's arms was slipping, when Tommy slammed into Joe. The two of them fell to the floor. This gave Joel enough time to draw his 9mm. Tommy jumped out of the way and Joel fired. Joe's face became a mass of blood and gray matter.

The guy who'd been on top of Ellie clambered to his feet. Joel looked at him. "You're mine." He said, moving forward. Ellie scuttled back and climbed to her feet. Joel slipped his hand into her back pocket and took her knife without even stopping. The guy stepped back. "Hey...I-" His voice was cut off by the blade sinking into his stomach. Joel gripped his shoulder with his left hand. With his right, he pulled the knife out and stuck it back in. He stabbed the guy again...and again...and again.

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><p><strong>AN: Oh man! This shit is getting real! Man, that was pretty intense huh? What did you guys think? Was it good? Are you happy that Ellie is once again reunited with Joel and the gang? Joel went batshit crazy on that last guy huh? Let me know what you thought by hitting that little review button.<strong>

**Adios!**

**~Exangellion**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

The night was filled with stars, the smell of burnt flesh heavy in the air. It had been his idea to burn the bodies of the people who'd attacked them earlier, the less spores in the air, the better their lives were. He looked over at Angel, and he couldn't help but huff. He knew next to nothing about her, except that she was his warrant. She was the only reason he was going. He remembered his life on the road, how he had avoided all human life, trying his best to stay on his own after his family had died. But when he'd found the girl on her own with no one else but her dog, he couldn't help but take her with him. He just couldn't bring himself to leave her behind. He'd done some fucked up things, things that were permanently seared into his memory, but he just couldn't leave the kid behind.

He didn't regret it, he actually enjoyed her company immensely, even if she was a pain in the ass. Chad chuckled. Angel always tried to find ways to keep away from people, and had thought he was a complete idiot when he'd told her he was trying to locate the fireflies. She said they were a bunch of retards, said that there was no light to find in the first place, and that she would not be involved with them in any way. When Chad had realized that she would not continue on with him if he continued to search for the fireflies, he had given up. It was something he thought about a lot. Chad sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

When he heard the whimpering, he turned and looked to his left, at Fang. He scooted over to the dog and rubbed a hand across his head. The dog's whole body felt as if it were radiating heat. Chad rubbed his hand along Fang's sleek fur. The black hair was beautiful, Chad had adored the dog, even if the first time he'd seen it it had tried to rip his face off. Fang whimpered again, and Chad's brows furrowed. He didn't remember ever hearing the dog whine like that. Chad gently placed his hand on Fang's side and tilted him. The dog didn't struggle or wiggle. When Chad caught sight of Fang's stomach, he let out an audible hiss.

The dog must have been hit by a stray bullet or something-it was the only explanation Chad could think of. Fang's stomach was open, and blood leaked steadily from it. Chad looked at the dirt and grass under Fang, and noticed for the first time the blood that stained the ground.

Chad turned back, and looked at Angel, who was sleeping peacefully. "_Goddamn it."_ He hissed, looking back at Fang. The dog whimpered and cried more. Chad could see small glimpses of the animal's organs. He took in a few more deep breaths. What was he going to do? The dog had lost a shitload of blood, and Chad knew for a fact there was no way he was going to be able to save him. He looked around him. Fang was suffering. Chad knew he had to put him down, but he didn't know how he was going to do that. He tried to calm himself down for just a second.

He couldn't use a bolt from his crossbow, there would be even more blood for him to hide. There was no way in hell he would use a gun, for similar reasons. He scrubbed a hand down his face. What the fuck could he do? It only took Chad a few more minutes to realize what he would have to do. As gently as he could, Chad put an arm around Fang, and dragged him closer. Fang let out several cries and whimpers, and Chad stopped dragging him over. Chad slid himself over to the dog. With a great tenderness, Chad wrapped one arm around the dog's throat. He took several deep breaths.

Then he tightened his grip, blocking Fang's airway.

Fang struggled for only a few seconds, before stopping. This broke Chad's heart, to see the dog give up so easily, when it had been such a fighter. It was almost as if the animal knew that it wouldn't last long either way. Chad tightened his grip, and felt tears forming in his eyes. He looked down at Fang, and saw the dog looking back up at him. Chad looked away, tightening his grip even more. He kept tightening his grip as much as he could, until a sickening crack was issued, and Fang went still.

Chad kept his arm wrapped around Fang's throat for several moments, before slowly loosening his grip and moving away from the animal. He stared at it for a long moment, feeling tears prickle at his eyes. He wiped at them, and took a deep breath. He looked back at Angel. He couldn't let her see Fang, not like this. Not when Fang had protected her with his life so many times. Chad took a long time to get himself under control before he climbed to his feet and looked around him.

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><p>He carried the dog about a hundred yards into the woods on the side of the road, and laid him down on the grass. Then he went back to the road, and searched for something to use as a shovel. When he didn't find anything, he ventured down the road for a ways, looking for anything he could use. When he still didn't find anything, he walked back to Fang's lifeless body and began to dig a grave with his hands. It took him a long time, and by the time he had the hole deep enough, the moon was high in the sky. Chad looked at the dead dog in the grave, and sighed. It was just so sad.<p>

After a small bit of thought, Chad crouched down, and unbuckled the worn and old collar around the animal's neck. He shoved it into his pocket, and went about the business of shoveling the dirt back into the grave.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, hop on." Devin said to Ellie as he hunched forward slightly. For a moment, Ellie just looked at him. "It's a piggyback ride." Ellie quirked an eyebrow. "You're serious?"<p>

"Serious as a heart attack, now c'mon." It took a little bit more convincing, but eventually, Ellie hopped up onto Devin's back. Her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, his hands under her thighs, holding them up. He straightened as much as he could before beginning to walk again. "Hey, catch up with Joel." Ellie said suddenly. Devin chuckled and shook his head before speeding up a bit and matching his pace with Joel's. "Hey, how far are we?" Ellie asked. Joel looked over at her and furrowed his brows when he saw that Devin was giving her a piggyback ride. "What? She was tired." He said. Joel shook his head. "Whatever. We're about a two day's walk."

"Better not get too used to the piggyback rides Ellie. I don't think I'm gonna' be able to carry anything after today."

"Fuck you." Devin laughed. "Nah, I'm not in the mood." Was his reply. He didn't have to see Ellie's face to know she was rolling her eyes. "You're disgusting." She said to him. He laughed again. "Yeah, but if it weren't for my sick humor, there'd be no one here to keep you entertained."

"At least you're good for something." Devin grinned.

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><p>Chad watched Angel as they walked. He wasn't sure what to think. After he'd put Fang down and buried him, Chad had moved his sleeping bag over the patch of blood and had stayed there. The next morning, he had given Angel the collar and told her that it was all he could find of Fang. She'd just looked at it for several minutes before putting it in her backpack. He was sure that it was just shock that was keeping her in such a neutral state. He was almost willing to bet his life that once they were camped again, and she was sure she was either alone or the only one awake, she would break and cry. And that was okay, he just hoped that she would let out the emotions. He didn't want her to keep it all pent up inside of her-that was a one-way trip to disaster.<p>

"You okay?" He had asked it so suddenly, that he was sure it was his subconscious speaking and not him. Angel took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before nodding her head. "Are you sure?"

"Chad, I"m fine."

"Alright."

* * *

><p>After a thorough search of the gas station they found, the group set up camp, and Joel sat with his back against the wall and his pack resting on his lap. He sifted through it, looking for anything he could eat. He felt someone sit down next to him. He didn't look up, just kept on looking through his pack for food. When all he found was an old energy bar, he let out a huff and opened the pouch and took a bight out of it. "Hey." It was Rebecca. Joel looked at her. "Yeah?" She shrugged.<p>

"Just thought you could use some company." Joel shrugged his shoulders. They fell into silence. When Joel had finished off half of the energy bar, he held it out to Rebecca. She took it and chomped into it. "This is gotta' be at least six years old." Joel scoffed and nodded his head. "At least." Rebecca shrugged her shoulders and took another bight. "Man I can not wait to get to Bertrand." Joel nodded his head.

Rebecca settled into the spot she was sitting on, setting out a blanket and lying on top of it. "You mind?" She asked. Joel shook his head. He was too tired to care, really. Rebecca went to lay down, but paused. She looked at Joel for a moment before she leaned forward. Her lips were soft against his cheek, and were there for just a few seconds before she was lying down. Joel was too shocked to react. He looked down at her, but her eyes were closed and her breathing was even.

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><p><strong>AN: Soooo...I was like, almost in tears while writing the beginning of this chapter. It kind of made me sad, like...really sad. But anyway, it doesn't matter how I feel. What did you guys think? Are you upset with me for killing Fang the dog? Was it cool of Devin to give Ellie a piggyback ride? Was that peck on the cheek from Rebecca to Joel just a onetime thing...or is she totally hitting on Joel? Well, I'm not at liberty to answer any of these questions, so you'll just have to wait until the next chapter is up. But until then: ciao!<strong>

**~Exangellion **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

The sun shone brightly through the cracked window, pooling on the floor by where Joel lay, wrapped tightly in the thin blanket he had. As he sat up, rubbing at his eyes with his hand, he guessed it was probably close to November. It was cold enough to be around that time. Joel climbed slowly to his feet, stretched his back and looked around him. He moved towards the archway. He peered through it and into the kitchen. Chad was in there and was sifting through a bin of ratty old clothes. When he noticed Joel's presence, he looked over.

"It's getting cold." He said, pulling out a heavy button-up coat and tossing it to Joel. Joel caught it and pulled it on over his shirt, rolling the left sleeve up to just above his stump. Chad pulled out a few more winter coats. He tossed one of them to Joel. "For your girl." Joel nodded his head, watched Chad for a minute more.

Chad looked at him. "We should stay here another night. A few of us should scout the area, see if we can't find any supplies." Joel considered it. He had a point, and having some time to rest would be nice. Chad looked at him, and cleared his throat. "Of course, we might just want to move quickly-get to Bertrand as fast as we can." Joel shook his head. "No, no. Maybe you're right." The corner of Chad's lips curved up.

"Yeah."

"I'll talk to Tommy about goin' out to find supplies in a bit." Chad nodded his head. Joel stepped away from the archway and went back to the spot where he'd slept the night before. Rebecca was now awake and was checking her pistol's magazine. Joel didn't say anything, just walked past her and looked out of the window.

Joel rubbed at his eyes, and let out a sigh. If it was November...it would be somewhere close to Sarah's mother's birthday. Joel pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't even know why he was thinking about her-he hadn't thought about Brittany in years. Why was he thinking about her now, of all times? He didn't know, and tried to close the door on those memories, he couldn't be thinking about her now, not when they were on the road.

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><p>Devin and Ellie were on the second floor of the house, searching through the rooms and making sure they weren't missing any kind of items that they could use. "Here we go." Devin said, opening up a drawer to find several CD cases. He pulled them out and began to look through them. "Let's see...Nirvana, Staind...Korn and Skillet. Whoever had this room had good taste." He pulled his pack off of his shoulders and put the CDs into it. "If we can find something to play these on, we'll have a rockin' time." He said, pulling his pack back onto his shoulders. Ellie rolled her eyes. "That was terrible."<p>

"Not all of us can tell terrible puns and get away with it." Devin moved back to the doorway. "C'mon. I need some new gauze for my eyehole." This made Ellie chuckle. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, they found Joel, Tommy, Chad and Rebecca talking. Devin walked over and stood beside Joel. When Joel noticed Devin, he looked at him. "What?"

"You got any gauze?" Joel huffed. He took off his pack and pulled out a roll of gauze before handing it to Devin. Devin took it, said thanks. "What are you doing?" Ellie asked as Devin moved off to the side to re-wrap his head. Joel pinched the bridge of his nose. "We're plannin' on goin searching for some supplies. We're gonna' be stayin' here another night." Ellie nodded.

"So where are we searching?" Joel scratched the back of his neck. "Well if you'd give me a minute we'll figure that out." Ellie huffed, and nodded her head. When she was once again off to the side, Joel looked back at the table that they were standing around and looked at the map they had spread out over the table.

* * *

><p>After an hour of conversation and slight debate (mainly between Joel and Ellie) it was decided that Joel, Devin, Ellie and Chad would go out for the run. Chad had asked Tommy and Rebecca to stay with Angel and make sure she didn't do anything dumb. So Joel and the others geared up, and the they set off. They had been walking for God knew how long when Devin noticed the truck stop. He pointed it out to the others. "Joel, check it out." Joel looked at the truck stop. "Probably our best bet." He said. He motioned for the others to follow, told Ellie to stay close and they began in it's direction.<p>

Joel tried the knob, and when he found it wouldn't open, he looked at the others before giving it a kick. It rocked on it's hinges. Joel kicked it one more time, and the door swung in, slamming against the wall. Joel drew his 9mm and moved in, his gun drawn. Devin, Ellie and Chad followed his example and they moved in. They split up, searching the place from top to bottom. Joel was sure they weren't going to find anything when he heard Ellie call for him. "Joel! Look at this!" Joel moved quickly, walking towards the back of the ransacked truck stop until he reached Ellie. She was crouched beside what looked like a trap door.

"What kind of truck stop needs a basement?" Joel heard Chad's voice behind him. He looked back. "I ain't got a clue. But there's a good chance there might be somethin' worthwhile down there." Joel pulled his flashlight from it's strap on his pack and flicked it on before opening the trapdoor and looking into the basement. From where he stood crouched, he could see the thick layer of green fog. "Spores." He said, sliding the flashlight back onto it's strap.

He pulled his backpack from his shoulders and pulled his gas mask from inside. He looked back at the others. Devin was mirroring Joel and had a gas mask of his own in his hands. Chad shook his head. "My gas mask broke a long time ago. I'll just wait up here." Joel went down the ladder first, followed by Ellie. "Hey, what about hers?" Chad asked. Devin suddenly remembered that Chad hadn't been told about Ellie's immunity. "She's immune, we'll explain later." He left Chad looking completely puzzled, and followed Joel and Ellie into the basement.

"This ain't no basement. It's a cellar." Joel said. The cellar was huge, almost the exact same size as the truck stop above them. "Alright, should we split up?" Devin asked, noticing how muffled his and Joel's voices sounded. He always hated that about the gas masks. Joel nodded. "Keep your eyes and ears open. We don't know what's down here." Devin and Ellie nodded and the three of them split up to look for anything of use.

Joel found nothing except a few batteries that would fit his flashlight. He shook his head and huffed. "Well that's just great." As he turned to look in another spot, he saw two guys drop down into the cellar. Another guy was already in and had the angle on him. Joel felt someone slam into him and the both fell to the floor.

When they heard the sounds of the scuffle, Devin and Ellie spun around. Devin felt a pipe slam into his temple and he fell to the floor. He rolled onto his back, ignoring the suddenly blurred world around him and scuttled back, drawing the .357 and pulling the trigger. The one holding the pipe died as his brains splashed against the floor.

Ellie was slammed into the wall by the second guy, who turned to look at his buddy as he fell dead. While he was distracted, Ellie gave him a hard kick to the nuts. He stumbled back with a yell of pain. Ellie pulled her pistol from her back waistband and pulled the trigger twice. Both bullets ripped through the guy's chest cavity and he fell, dead. "Fuck." Ellie muttered. Several more people jumped down into the cellar, obviously attracted by the sound of the gunshots. They attacked Devin and Ellie. There was four of them, and Ellie had just shot one of them, when the rest grabbed Devin.

One of the guys put a gun to his head and they began to back up. Two of them climbed up the ladder, and the guy holding Devin didn't let go of Devin until the others reached down for him. The entire time, Devin fought and struggled, but soon he was out of sight. The guy who'd held Devin aimed his gun at Ellie. But right then, Joel (who'd been struggling with the guy who'd tackled him) slammed into him. Joel had the guy on his back, when he put the barrel of a second gun (a revolver) against Joel's right shoulder and pulled the trigger. Joel let out a yell of pain and the guy shoved him back.

Ellie had kept her pistol trained on the both of them the entire time, and she pulled the trigger as the guy climbed up the ladder. Her bullet grazed his arm, but then he was gone too.

Ellie and Joel climbed up the ladder, after him. When the got to the top, they saw Chad struggling to his feet, his crossbow in his hand. Chad's nose was broken, his eye was blackened and his lips were busted. Blood oozed steadily from his nose. All three of them aimed, but Chad fired first. His arrow stabbed into the guy's back and he fell. The three of them hurried over to him and Joel dragged him to one of the damaged tables.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, Devin's been kidnapped. What did you guys think? Was this chapter good? Should I elaborate more on Joel's wife (I probably will anyway)? Who the hell are the douchebags that kidnapped Devin? And is Joel going to be able to get that info from the guy Chad shot? Find out the answers to these questions next time.<strong>

**~Exangelllion **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Joel got the guy on the table, and was able to get the arrow out and keep the guy awake long enough to start asking questions. "Where the _hell_ do you and you're people stay?" He asked, keeping the guy pinned down. He was still trying to escape. As an answer to Joel's question, he hocked up a big wad of mucus and spit it into Joel's face. Joel flinched slightly, and shook his head. He motioned for Chad to hold the guy down. When Chad had him held down tightly, Joel ripped off his gas mask, grabbed his arm and dragged him quickly towards the trapdoor.

When Joel got the guy to it, he leaned him over the edge, with Chad's help. "Now, if you don't want to breath in all them spores, you'll tell me where your people are." Joel saw fear begin to creep into the guy's face, but he still wouldn't answer. Joel looked over at Chad. Chad huffed and slammed a foot into the guy's calf, knocking him to his knees and causing his head to get close to the trapdoor, and closer to the spores.

"Tell us where your people are!" Joel yelled. He could see they had gotten through to this guy. "Alright, alright! I'll tell you!" He said. They didn't pull him back, only waited. After several moments, he said: "If...if you go about, uh...about a mile north. There's a-a bunch of tents. They...they're all set around a fire Pit. It can be seen from the side of the road you-you can't miss it." Joel looked at Chad. Chad looked back and nodded. "I think he's telling the truth." Joel nodded his head. He stood, and motioned to Chad. Chad nodded his head, and kicked the guy down into the spore-filled cellar. He screamed as he fell down, landing on his stomach. Joel threw down the door to the cellar, and Chad dragged one of the shattered tables and pulling it over the trapdoor. Chad nodded his head and picked up his crossbow off of the floor.

"You okay?" Joel asked him. Chad held his broken nose for just a minute. "Yeah, only thing the really hurts is my nose." Joel looked at Ellie. "Let's get Devin, get back to Tommy and quit this place, try and get to Bertrand by tomorrow." Ellie nodded her head. "Lead the way." Joel made sure his 9mm was still in his back waistband before he moved for the door and stepped outside.

* * *

><p>Devin struggled with the rope binding his wrists together behind his back. He couldn't believe this had happened. As he struggled with his binds, he listened to the people who had kidnapped him. They were standing around a fire pit and seemed to be arguing among themselves.<p>

"Are we gonna' cook 'im up or what?" This made Devin's stomach do a flip. So they were cannibals. "Not _yet _Josh. I told you, when the sun has set we'll get some meat from the kid." Devin looked up at the horizon. He guessed he had roughly an hour before they were going to cut a part of him off and eat him.

He had never been very religious, but at that moment, Devin closed his eyes and began to pray silently. He prayed that the others would show up in time, or he'd literally be lunch meat.

* * *

><p>Joel, Ellie and Chad moved quickly, heading in the direction they had been told the camp was in. Joel hoped that Devin wasn't dead...or worse. Joel didn't really want to think of the things people could do to others before killing them, it was something he didn't want to picture happening to Devin. It made his stomach do flips.<p>

"Joel, smoke." Chad said suddenly, pointing ahead of them and a little to the right. Joel could see smoke rising into the air. Joel figured it was about a hundred yards off of the road. "Fucking _idiots."_ Chad muttered. "Anyone could see that." Joel nodded his head. Whoever these people were, they were cocky as hell.

"So how are we gonna' do this?" Chad asked, his grip visibly tightening on the crossbow. Joel scratched at his thickened beard. He thought to himself for several seconds. For several minutes, he thought. Then he looked back at Chad and Ellie.

"We'll get to their camp together, but I need you two to find a spot to hide and wait for a signal to make yourselves known." Chad and Ellie nodded their heads.

* * *

><p>Devin struggled with the cannibals as they grabbed him and began to drag him towards their small bonfire. "Stop strugglin' man!" The one named Joshua shouted, but this only caused Devin to struggle more. "The kid ain't stoppin' Pete." Joshua growled. Pete huffed. "Ron! Get the fuck over here." Devin felt a third pair of arms grab him and his struggles quickly became futile. No matter how hard he tried, they were just bringing him closer and closer to the fire.<p>

"Hey!" All three of the guys who we're dragging Devin stopped and looked in the direction of the street. Devin looked that way as well and felt relief wash over him. Joel stood at the edge of the clearing they were in, but Devin quickly realized that Joel was alone, without Ellie or Chad. He wondered if they were alright.

"You the guy who has our buddy?" Pete asked, letting ago of Devin's shoulder and stepping towards Joel. Joel only stared back for several seconds before saying: "Let me take a guess here. You were gonna' make the kid there your midnight snack." Pete scoffed. "If you want to put it that way, sure. We were considering making a nice meal for ourselves." Devin noticed the small twitch in Joel's eyelid. He also noticed the way the other two cannibals advanced slightly on Joel, but kept behind Pete.

"Why?" Joel asked. This question seemed to take Pete by surprise. "Why did you decide it would be a good idea to use _people_ as food?" Pete looked back at the others, before turning to Joel and saying; "The simple answer? We got hungry." Pete suddenly smiles and Devin couldn't help but notice that Pete's face suddenly had a sinister look on it.

"And it looks like we've got some extra meat." Joel matched Pete's sinister expression with one of his own. "You don't stand a chance."

* * *

><p>Chad and Ellie were perched in the branches of one of the trees. Chad had his crossbow trained on the guy standing in front of Joel. Joel had told the two of them what the signal was, and Chad was listening intently, trying to make sure he didn't miss a single word. He and Ellie couldn't risk missing the signal, or Joel would be toast.<p>

Chad looked over at Ellie and the worry was clear in her eyes. "Hey, don't worry. We ain't going to come out on the bottom here." Ellie nodded her head, but Chad could see she didn't fully buy what he was telling her. He wasn't exactly sure how it would turn out either.

Chad went back to listening to Joel and the other guy's conversation. He heard the other guy say they are people because they got hungry. He heard him say something else that he wasn't able to catch. Then he heard Joel say: "You don't stand a chance." This was the signal. Chad stared down the sights, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The arrow went sailing and stabbed into the other guy's shoulder, piercing it.

* * *

><p>Pete let out a yell as an arrow from Chad's crossbow went through his shoulder. A gunshot rang through the air, ripping through Joshua's neck. Joel tackled Pete to the ground. They struggled for a long time. For just a moment, he caught a glimpse of Devin, who had gotten a hold of Joshua's knife and was cutting through his binds as the other guy-Ron tried to get a shot at Ellie and Chad.<p>

Chad got down from the tree and sent an arrow through Ron's forehead. Pete rolled him and Joel, so that he was on top and was about to pummel him, when the blade of Chad's hatchet buried into the back of his head. "You good?" He asked, reaching out a hand for Joel. Joel took it and climbed to his feet. "Yeah."

Joel looked over at Devin, who had cut through the rope and was climbing to his feet. He motioned for them to wait one second and retrieved his pack, holster and gun from one of the tents. He wrapped an arm around Ellie's shoulders. "Let's get the hell out of here."

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><p><strong>AN: So, how was that? Were you worried about Devin for a minute there (I was)? Was throwing that one guy into a cellar filled with spores without a gas mask a bit of a dick move? What's going to happen now? Well, you'll find out next time.<strong>

**~Exangellion**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Joel could barely keep back a grin when he saw the sign. It was faded, parts of it were covered in bullet holes. But at closer inspection, Joel was able to read Bertrand: 3. He couldn't believe it. He looked back at the others. "Home stretch." Tommy walked up beside Joel and squinted at the sign. "All right." He said after a long moment. Joel detected the sadness in his voice and remembered Maria. He patted Tommy's shoulder. "Let's get movin'."

* * *

><p>Chad took a deep breath and looked at Angel. She hadn't said a word to him since the day before, when she'd found out that her dog Fang was gone. He'd been around her long enough to know that it was her way of grieving, but it still hurt him a bit. Especially since he had been the one to put the dog down.<p>

"Hey," he said, nudging her with his elbow. "What's up?" She asked in a casual voice. "You excited to get to Bertrand?" Angel shrugged her shoulders. "Still not s huge fan of people." Chad chuckled.

"At least give the place a chance. If you still aren't into it after a few days, we'll leave." Angel looked at him with furrowed brows. "I thought you wanted to stay with people-I mean, you're always going on about strength in numbers and all of that." Chad couldn't help but grin. "If you want to go, I'll go." Angel gave him a half grin.

"Well, thanks." Chad nodded his head and put an arm around her shoulders. "No problem kid."

* * *

><p>Devin chewed on his thumbnail. It was a nervous tick of his. He just hated not knowing what was going to happen. He just hoped Bertrand wouldn't be another pipe dream. Like Jackson, or the Hilltop. He just wanted a place where he could settle down and live a somewhat normal life.<p>

"Hey," Devin looked at Ellie. "What's up?" Ellie pointed ahead of them. Devin looked around them. On either side of the highway there were large fields, probably at least a mile wide each. About half a mile ahead of them, there was a fork in the road. To the right, there was more road. But on the left, Devin could see the extremely small town of Bertrand.

Devin felt a wide smile spread across his face. He could barely believe it-they had made it. He wrapped an arm around Ellie's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Let's just hope there's someone there to see us." He said after a moment, unable to keep his uncertainty out of his voice.

Ellie looked up at him. "They'll be there." Devin nodded his head. "Yeah, just a little worried, that's all." Ellie nodded her head. Devin slowly pulled his arm from around her shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. They were getting close to the fork in the road. Devin knew it was getting close. He silently prayed for good luck.

* * *

><p>As they neared Bertrand, Joel began to see the beginnings of a wall and he grinned. The people of the Hilltop had made it, and they seemed to be doing alright. They were just a few hundred feet from the wall, when someone spotted them. He was a younger guy named Dante, Joel remembered him from the few times he had done wall duty at the Hilltop.<p>

When Dante spotted Joel, he smiled. He stopped what he was doing, and hurried over to them. "Tommy, Joel! You guys made it!" He clasped forearms with Tommy. He looked at the small group of people, and Joel saw sadness flash across his eyes for just a moment. "Jesus and Maria didn't make it, huh?" Joel shook his head. Tommy cleared his throat.

"So, who's been callin' the shots?" Dante looked back. "Not sure if you remember Gareth from Jackson or not. He hasn't really been calling the shots, but he knows how to keep order, so...he's basically been in charge. I should probably bring you to him." Joel and Tommy nodded at the same time. Dante motioned for them to follow.

Joel remembered Jesus' words when he'd described Bertrand. He'd said it had been an extremely small town, but Joel wasn't sure if that was the correct description. It was more like four blocks. There couldn't have been more than thirty houses and two or three trailers. Dante led them to the largest house (a small three bedroom house) and knocked on the door before opening it and motioning for the others to follow him inside.

Sitting at a small kitchen table with two other people was a man in his early thirties with short black hair and a face covered in stubble. When Dante stepped in followed by the others, he looked up from the rabbit meat he was eating and stood.

"Well if it ain't Tommy. For a minute there I thought you'd bit the dust in the attack on the Hilltop." Tommy chuckled and shook his head. "I'm still breathin'." Gareth nodded his head. "Well, we don't have a whole lot of space. Probably going to be two houses and a trailer between all of you. If you want I can have Dante take you there now, or I can offer you some food first."

Joel looked at Ellie. "I'm starving." She said. Joel chuckled. "Some food would be great." Gareth smiled. "Well then, welcome to Bertrand."

* * *

><p>Joel sat quietly at the kitchen table of the house he now shared with Ellie, Devin and Rebecca. While they had ate cooked Rabbit, they'd been introduced to Gareth's brother, Brandt. Joel hadn't liked him, he gave him the creeps. Gareth had been alright, but Brandt had been somewhat disturbing.<p>

Joel shook his head, he would worry about it later. Maybe he would speak with Gareth about it, but right then, he was just too tired to care.

Joel stood, stretched and headed to the bedroom given to him and Rebecca. He lay down on his mattress, and with Rebecca's feminine snores from across the room in his ears, Joel drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, finished chapter 14! Quick note, Gareth is in no way related to the one from the Walking Dead. But anyway, what did you guys think? Are you glad that Joel and the gang are finally in Bertrand? What fucked up things are going to happen next (the next chapter or two will be kind of mellow, but things will pick up again)? Let me know by leaving a review. See y'all later.<strong>

**~Exangellion**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

The moon was high in the sky. Joel was sure it was somewhere around one or two in the morning. Joel had been lying on his mattress for hours, just trying to sleep. With a huff, he stood, grabbed his pack and walked down the hall to the living room. He looked out of the window as he passed and sighed. It was snowing, and there were a good four inches on the ground. Joel shivered from the cold, he was only wearing a pear of sweat pants he had found in the closet of the house they were in.

Joel sat down on the ratty couch, and searched through his pack until he found the old and faded picture of him and Sarah. He leaned back on the couch and looked at the picture. He could remember that moment as if it had happened yesterday. He remembered the sun shining, the warm breeze. Tommy holding the camera, and how he wouldn't take the picture until Joel had smiled instead of just grinning.

Joel pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He could feel the prickling of tears forming on his eyes. He held them back as best as he could. He was so wrapped up in keeping himself from crying that he didn't notice Rebecca's presence until she swat down on the couch next to him.

"You alright?" She asked. Joel nodded his head and took his hand away from his face. He took one last deep breath and felt the tears slowly go away. He looked at Rebecca for just a second before leaning forward and setting the picture of him and Sarah down on the coffee table. Rebecca looked at the picture from where she sat. "Is she your daughter?" Joel nodded his head.

Rebecca didn't need to ask anything else, it was obvious that Sarah wasn't around anymore. She was quiet for just a moment. "I used to want to have kids, but my husband ruined that for me." She said. Joel looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"What?" Rebecca nodded her head. "My husband had been an alcoholic. He wasn't a happy drunk either. I can't tell you how many times he hit me." Joel felt a small bout of sadness at this statement. He'd always resented people who felt they could do whatever they wanted to do to women. Rebecca looled over at Joel. "What about you? Were you married?" Joel swallowed thickly as memories of Brittany came rushing back to him.

Joel nodded his head. "I _was._ Technically I still am. Brittany and I never signed any divorce papers." Joel thought back to the day he'd met Brittany. "It was a complete accident-how I met her." Rebecca watched him, waiting to see if he would keep going. After a few seconds, he did.

"I was probably around...fourteen years old, I think. Tommy and I, we were hangin' around the school grounds. I don't know why, we never were big fans of school. Anyway, this guy comes walkin' by and bumps into me. Only takes me a second to realize he stole my wallet.

"We didn't exactly have a whole hell of a lot of money back then, so I decided to go chase the guy. Only takes him a minute to realize I was on his tail, cause he started runnin' too. I chased him for about four goddamned blocks, and almost had him.

"When he decided to cross the street, hesitate to go after him. Only problem was the Honda Civic that knocked me off of my feet." When Joel said this, Rebecca snorted and apologized quickly. Joel nodded his head and said;

"The civic had been owned by Brittany's father. She came to visit me in the hospital-I just had a few broken ribs and arm." He made a quick glance at his left arm and the spot where it ended early. "Guess we just fell in love and all of that." Joel said. "How long was it before you two got married?" Rebecca asked casually.

"We didn't get married until she got pregnant. So I'd say about two years."

"So, you had your Daughter when you were sixteen." Rebecca said after a second. Joel nodded his head. "And she left me and Sarah about a year after she was born." Joel huffed and put his hand to his head. Rebecca watched him for just a minute.

"I'll see you in the morning." Joel just nodded and stayed where he was. When he went back to his room, he was surprised at how easy it was to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>Ellie, Devin and Angel sat quietly on the roof of Angel and Chad's place. Over the last week, Devin and Ellie had grown closer to Angel. The three of them now often hung out, talked and sometimes just sat around doing nothing together. As they sat around talking, Devin would find himself just looking at Ellie and feeling what he guessed to be strong love growing inside of him.<p>

Devin at least figured it was love. He'd heard plenty of songs that talked about it, and had read about it in a hundred different books. And during those moments when he sat and watched her he'd feel what he could only describe as an undying love.

"Hey, got a light?" Angel asked. She was holding one of the cigarettes he had reluctantly given her. Devin only had four of them left and an almost equal amount of matches. With a sigh, he produced his book of matches from his back pocket, lit a match and held it to the end of her cigarette. She made one small cough at the first puff, but after that she didn't make any other noise and the three of them were silent for just a moment.

"We need to find something to play those CDs on." Devin said suddenly. He scooted to the edge of the roof end lowered himself down. Ellie followed him. "Well, where are we Going to look?" She asked once she was down. Angel followed them, nodding in agreement with Ellie's question.

Devin scratched at the thick stubble on his chin. "Gareth's got the bus they used to evacuate the Hilltop parked out by the road. If there's still any juice in it I might be able to get it running, we could listen to music on the bus' CD player. Maybe I'll go out and find a car to siphon gas from later."

Ellie quirked an eyebrow. "How are you going to get the bus going?" She asked. Devin grinned slyly. "I've got my ways."

When they got out to the bus, Dante (who was working on the wall) spotted them and called to them. "Whatcha doin?" Devin saw no reason to lie, and he said; "Was gonna' get the bus going. Listen to some tunes."

"And how did you plan on doing that?" Dante asked.

"I _was_ going to hotwire it." Dante quickly shook his head and reached into the pockets of his jeans. "Gareth left me in charge, since I'm the one who drove us here. Don't see any reason why you couldn't use it for music. As long as you don't play it too loud." From his pants pocket, Dante produced the bus key and tossed it to Devin. He caught it and climbed up into the bus before sticking the key into the ignition and revving the engine. From his pack, Devin pulled out the Korn CD and held it up. "My personal favorite."

* * *

><p>Joel and Tommy walked slowly towards the house Gareth, his wife Nancut and his brother Brandt. The brothers had heard about a group heading out on a supply run to the supermarket a half a mile away from town, and they wanted to ask Gareth if there was room for two more.<p>

When the two of them reach the front door, Joel knocked and they waited. After about five minutes, Joel looked at Tommy, who nodded his head. Joel turned the doorknob and stepped in. The first thing they noticed was the thick smell of blood. Tommy cringed. "Ah...the smell." Out of habit, Joel reached into his back waistband and drew the 9mm. The two brothers moved through the house. They found the two little girls in the bathroom. At the sight of them, Tommy turned away and lost his lunch. Joel just stared in silent horror.

They were twins, neither one could've been older than eight years old. Both lay in pools of their own blood, their heads severed from their bodies.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That was a fucked up ending to a chapter, right? What did you guys think? Are you happy to see Joel opening up to someone? Is it awesome that Devin is feeling legitimate love to for Ellie? Who decapitated the two little girls? You might find out the answer to the last question in the next chapter.<strong>

**~Exangellion **


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Joel and Tommy sat in Gareth's kitchen, watching him pace back and forth. The mother and father of the twin girls had been notified of their loss and the girls had been buried. Now Joel and Tommy were waiting for Gareth to decide what was to be done. Joel felt his eyes shift over to the window, where Gareth's brother, Brandt stood. He was a creepy guy. Tall, thin with black dreadlocks, dark eyes and a thin face. The lower half of it was covered with a thick beard, and Joel couldn't help but feel like the guy was watching him.

"Who the hell would slaughter little girls?" Gareth muttered to himself. Joel shook his head, wondering the same thing himself. "Well, has anyone been acting weird lately?" Tommy asked, his voice weak. His face was still a little green from when he and Joel had found the girls dead. Gareth shook his head. "No, no one's been acting weird-and even if they were, they had to have been someone I haven't talked to in the last few days." Tommy nodded his head. Joel glanced back at Brandt, just in time to see Brandt's eyes flick from him to Gareth. Joel clenched a fist. It seemed he trusted Brandt less and less the longer he was around him.

"Look...why don't we just keep on doin' our work for today. Tomorrow we'll call a meetin' or something. Try and see if we can't get the truth out of someone." Brandt said to Gareth. Gareth looked at him for a long moment. "I don't know man..." He said. Tommy put a hand to his forehead. "Maybe we should. We still need to send people out to look for supplies before this winter kicks into high gear." His voice was still weak. Joel hesitantly nodded in agreement. Gareth looked at the both of them. "Yeah...yeah I guess. Tommy, I'd appreciate it if you would go with the group out for the run. You being a former leader of Jackson and all." Tommy nodded his head. He and Joel stood. Joel was just about to follow his brother out through the front door, when Gareth spoke again.

"Joel? Could you do me a favor?" Joel looked back at Gareth. "What?"

"Could you maybe just make some patrols-like...walk around Bertrand, see if you can see anything unusual?" Joel nodded his head. "Sure thing." Gareth thanked him, and Joel quickly stepped out of the front door, taking in several deep breaths of the cold, winter air.

* * *

><p>"You okay?" Rebecca asked Joel as he stepped in through the front door and shut it quietly behind him. Joel shrugged his shoulders. "Two little girls were killed today." He answered, walking past Rebecca and into the kitchen. He opened up one of the cabinets and searched through it, eventually pulling out an old can of peaches. "<em>What?"<em> Joel nodded his head. "Some sick fucker cut their heads off." Rebecca stared at Joel for several moments as he opened the can of peaches and tipped it back, letting some of the spoiled fruit slide down his throat.

"I'm gonna' make some patrols tonight, see if I can't find anythin' suspicious." Rebecca looked at the ground for just a minute. "That's terrible." Joel agreed. He didn't say anything, just tipped the can of peaches back once again and chewed steadily on them. "We'll find out whoever did it, make sure they pay." Rebecca took several deep breaths.

"You _saw_ them?" Rebecca asked.

"Uh-huh. Don't think they suffered. It was clean. Whoever did it killed 'em quick."

"That doesn't make it any better." Joel shook his head. "No, it doesn't." They were silent for several minutes. Rebecca sat down on the kitchen counter. "If you don't mind, I want to go with you." Joel looked at Rebecca for a moment before nodding his head. Rebecca grinned. "Cool."

* * *

><p>Devin sat with his back to the side of the driver's seat in the bus. Ellie sat with her back against his chest. Angel sat in the driver's seat above them. In the CD player, Korn's <em>Shoots <em>_and __Ladders _was playing. "These guys are disturbing." Angel said. Devin chuckled. "Yeah, just wait until you hear _Daddy._ That song'll creep you out."

Ellie picked up the Korn CD case and examined the track list on the back of it. "We've listened to this whole thing almost. C'mon, let's put on one of the other ones." With a huff, Devin ejected the Korn CD and put it up before picking up Nirvana. "This is a good one." He put the CD in and leaned his head back, his eyes closed. He slowly let himself get lost in the music. The first four tracks skipped like crazy. On the fifth one, Devin stopped and listened for a minute. When it didn't skip, he grinned and said; "Smells like teen spirit." Ellie quirked an eyebrow.

"That's the name of the song."

"That's weird."

"Well Nirvana's weird." He listened to the rest of the song with his eyes closed. When the song was finished, he opened his eyes again and looked at the other two CD cases. "Staind: Break the Cycle and Skillet: Comatose." He looked at Angel, who shrugged her shoulders. "Don't care." Devin looked at Ellie. She took the cases and looked at them both. She had just opened her mouth to give Devin an answer when Dante called to them. "Hey guys! It's gettin' kind of dark. You can come on out and listen to tunes again tomorrow." Devin waited for Ellie to move before he stood, killed the engine and tossed the keys to Dante. "Cool, see you later D." Dante waved to the three of them before climbing down from the wall and beginning for his house.

When they made it to their house, Devin and Ellie bid Angel goodnight and slipped through the front door. Devin called to Joel and he poked his head out from the kitchen. "Was startin' to wonder where you went runnin' off to." He said. Ellie noticed the dark look in his gaze. "Everything okay?" She asked, picking up the half empty can of peaches and popping a few into her mouth. Joel shook his head.

"Found a couple of little girls dead this mornin'." Devin, who had been rifling through the cabinets stopped and looked at him. "Dead? How?" Joel shook his head. "Someone'd cut their heads off." Devin gagged, looking disgusted. "What kind of fucking psychopath would do something like _that?_" Joel shook his head. "You've got me kid. I'm gonna' go on a patrol in a little while here and watch for anythin' suspicious-and before you start, you ain't comin'." He said to Ellie. She huffed. "Fine, I'll just stay here all by myself."

"Glad to see I exist still." Devin said with a grin, pulling a bottle of water from the cabinet before opening it and taking a drink. "Well, don't get killed while you're on patrol alright? That would kind of suck." Devin said before stepping out of the kitchen and walking down the hallway to his and Ellie's room. Joel shook his head. "Rebecca's gettin' ready. I'm gonna' grab my stuff and be headin' off. I'll see you when I get back." Ellie nodded her head and slowly went down the hallway to hers and Devin's room. When she pushed open the door, she found Devin sliding the two mattresses together, side by side. He looked up.

"It's full blown winter now. Gonna' get super cold soon, we're gonna' have to share body heat and all of that good shit." Ellie chuckled. "Yeah, that's why." Devin playfully flipped her off and flopped down onto one of the mattresses. "God it's good to sleep on one of these again. Fucking hate travelling." Ellie nodded her head and sat down on the edge of the mattress. Devin looked at her.

"You should let your hair down more." Ellie rolled her eyes. "You should too."

"I do, when I'm asleep." He pulled his hair-tie out and set it down by the edge of the mattress before pulling the blanket over himself and motioning for Ellie to lay down beside him. He wrapped one arm around her midsection and planted a small kiss on the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. "Get some sleep, alright?" It was only moments before both of them were drifting off.

* * *

><p>Devin's eye suddenly snapped open. Something had awoken him. He listened to Ellie for a moment. Her breathing was even and calm. He looked towards their bedroom door. He could hear someone moving around in the living room. Devin slowly pulled his arm from Ellie's midsection, moved the blanket from his body and grabbed the .357 from the gun belt. He cocked the hammer back, crept towards the door and quietly pulled it open before stepping out into the hallway, gun drawn.<p>

He walked slowly down the hallway, and peaked into the living room. When he saw no one, he slowly crept into the room.

Whoever grabbed him had come from the kitchen. He wrapped one arm around Devin's throat and pinned Devin's right arm behind him. "Drop the gun-don't even _think_ about struggling. Or I'll kill that bitch of yours." Devin knew whoever was holding him wasn't kidding. It took him all of his willpower to drop the .357. Once he'd done that, the person holding him began to guide him towards their back door. Devin went along, only partially willingly. He knew he was basically screwed. When they got outside, Devin felt something hard slam into the back of his neck, and he went out like a light.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, it seems like our good pal Devin is about to get served a shit sandwich (not a literal shit sandwich, mind you). He just got kidnapped. Speaking of that, who do you think kidnapped Devin? Do you agree with Joel on his opinion of Brandt (Gareth's brother)? How are Ellie and Joel going to react to Devin's kidnapping? Well, I am contractually bound to not giving out spoilers so...sorry!<strong>

**~Exangellion**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Joel and Rebecca slowly made their way through the streets of Bertrand, heading in the direction of their house. They had been out, working their patrols for several hours (Joel guessed it was probably somewhere around two or three in the morning) and hadn't succeeded in finding anything unusual. Joel had figured that would happen, but it still kind of upset him, not being able to find the sumbag who had taken away the lives of two little girls, who had so much life ahead of them.

"So, we gonna' be going out on patrol again tomorrow night?" Rebecca asked. Joel looked at her for just a moment. "Yeah, probably gonna' have to do that _every_ night, till we find whoever killed those girls." Rebecca nodded her head in agreement. They were silent until the house came into view. As they neared the porch, Rebecca said: "I think I'm gonna' call it a night. You going to sleep too?" Joel nodded as they stepped onto the porch. "Just gonna' check on Ellie and Devin real quick." He said. Rebecca grinned at him and pushed open the door.

When Joel saw the living room, he froze. From where he and Rebecca stood by the doorway, he could see the kitchen table and chairs knocked over, and the back door standing wide open. Lying on the floor was Devin's .357. Joel walked over to it and picked it up. The hammer was cocked back. He looked over at Rebecca, who looked just as confused as he was. Joel set the revolver on the couch and walked to the backdoor. He peered out into the snow and his brows furrowed. Footprints and drag marks could be clearly seen. A sudden thought ran through his head, making Joel's blood run cold. He spun around and walked through the kitchen and down the hall. When he reached Ellie and Devin's room (home of the pun master etched into the door) Devin rushed in and stopped.

Ellie and Devin had shoved the two mattresses together. One one side, Ellie lay with the blanket wrapped tightly around her. The other half of the two mattresses was empty. Joel felt his stomach do a flip and he practically ran back into the living room, almost running into Rebecca. "What's going on?" She asked, seeing the worried look on Joel's face. "Keep an eye on Ellie. Don't let anyone except Tommy or maybe Chad's girl in here!" He said, rushing past her. He went out of the front door and ran quickly next door, where Chad and his girl, Angel stayed. When he got up the gravel drive and onto the porch, he gripped the doorknob with his hand twisted it and slammed into the door. It was unlocked and he came crashing into the house, scaring the shit out of Chad. He let out a yell and jumped back from the door.

"Jesus Joel!" He shouted, rubbing a hand through his thick, sandy-blonde hair. Joel looked him over. He had forgotten how early in the morning it was, Chad was wearing nothing but his jeans and he looked ragged and disheveled. "Did you hear anything'...maybe an hour ago?" Chad blinked the sleep out of his eyes and shook his head. "No, I was asleep until just a few minutes ago. Had to take a piss, lucky I already did or I'd have it running down my leg." Joel shook his head. "I need your help." Chad studied the look on Joel's face for just a moment. "Let me get dressed and grab my crossbow-am I going to need it?"

"You might." Chad nodded. "If you don't mind, I'd kind of like to have Angel stay over at your house while we do whatever we're doing." He said, walking quickly down the hall. Several minutes later, Chad came out clad in his jeans, combat boots, a black winter coat and a beanie. He was followed closely by a tired and half-asleep Angel. She rubbed at her eyes for just a moment. Chad motioned for her to follow and the three of them went next door. Angel flopped down onto the couch and Chad put a blanket over her before turning to Joel, his crossbow slung over his shoulder.

"Now, what's up?"

"Do you know how to track?" Chad scratched his head. "Well...kind of. I mean, I can track game if I put my mind to it." Joel nodded his head. "Well, follow me." Chad followed Joel out into the backyard and showed Chad the footprints and drag marks. "Devin's missin' and someone put up a bit of a fight while me and Rebecca were out doin' our patrols." Chad's eyes widened for just a second and he looked back at the kitchen. "Yeah, I kind of noticed your kitchen looked like shit." He looked back at the marks in the snow. "Well, either someone was taking a shortcut through your backyard and decided to make a detour through your kitchen or whoever took Devin went through your backyard." He looked at the track for just a second longer.

"The track's pretty obvious, why didn't you just follow it?" He asked. Joel shook his head. "The track disappears in the snow over there." He pointed towards another houses backyard. "I ain't the best tracker, and I know Tommy can't track for shit. I need to keep a close watch on Ellie. I know she's gonna' have a fit when she finds out what happened. Please help me out here." Chad looked back at the snow and sighed.

"I'm not too sure how long I'll be able to follow it but...I'll try and find him." Joel gave Chad a small grin. "Thank you." Chad nodded his head and stepped down into the backyard.

* * *

><p>Devin felt himself coming back to consciousness and he let out a groan. He had a massive fucking headache. Slowly, he opened his eye and was momentarily grateful for the lack of light. But after his sight had adjusted to the darkness, he felt his stomach tie in a knot. He was in some kind of basement and all of the walls were stone. Devin fought back the urge to have a serious nervous breakdown. He couldn't stand places like this, not when he was alone. Not since he'd been locked in one while the people who'd locked him in it raped and murdered his mother. Devin struggled with the binds holding his wrists together and he cursed himself for not being able to fight off whoever had grabbed him.<p>

This last thought had only just crossed through his head when he heard a door open and someone came walking down a flight of stairs that were located on Devin's left. When Devin saw who it was, he only felt surprise for a few seconds. Brandt stood before him, staring down at him as if he were a piece of meat. A piece of meat he intended to cut into. In Brandt's right hand was a butcher knife, and the sinister look on his face told Devin exactly what he intended to do with it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, Devin's fucked. Or he's not fucked, I don't know. Well, I do know, but the Illuminati will come after me if I tell so, I'm not going to tell. Well, what do you think is going to happen? Is Chad going to be able to find Devin in time, or is everyone's favorite one-eyed teenager going to get butchered like a piece of meat by Gareth's brother, Brandt? You'll just have to wait and see. Oh the suspense!<strong>

**~Exangellion **


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Chad cursed the snow. It had started snowing again, just moments after he'd begun tracking down whoever had kidnapped Devin. It had made it almost impossible for him to keep on the track. But every so often, Chad would come across a single footprint that hadn't been covered and he'd know he was on the right path.

The track soon went past the half-built walls of Bertrand and began in the direction of the supermarket. Once Chad realized this, he picked up the pace, only looking down every once in awhile to see if the tracks were continuing in the direction of the supermarket. To Chad's relief, They were.

* * *

><p>Devin just stared at Brandt when he cut the binds holding his wrists together. "C'mon, relax kid. I ain't killin' ya' yet kid. You got at least a couple of hours left." Brandt walked to one side of the basement and grabbed a chair. He dragged it over and sat down across from Devin. "Now, you're gonna' want to listen closely kid. I ask you any question, you'll answer it. If ya' don't I'll kill ya' right now." Devin blinked a few times.<p>

"...Ask away." He said after a moment. Brandt grinned. "What happened to you're eye kid?" Devin hadn't expected that to be one of the questions. But after a couple of seconds he said; "Was shot. Joel told me the bullet for lodged in my eye. Got it surgically removed."

"So you just have an empty eye socket?" Devin nodded his head. "Let me see it." Devin's brows furrowed. "What?"

"Let...me see it." Devin swallowed dryly, but hesitantly reached up to his head and unwrapped the gauze from around his head. When Brandt saw Devin's empty eye socket he grinned. "That is _fucking _awesome!" Devin watched him for a long time. There was something seriously fucking wrong with him.

"What's with the scar over your good eye?" Devin paled a little bit. He didn't like to even think about that. He took several deep breaths. "I'm waitin' kid." Brandt said. Devin swallowed. "I got it...I got it in a fight." Brandt just watched. "You're lyin' kid. Now how did you really get it?" Devin sighed.

"I got slashed with a nail in a barn when infected attacked me and my family." He said with a shaky voice. "Who died?" Devin felt a growl rising in his throat. Brandt heard it as well and waved the knife slowly in front of Devin. "Now, now...just answer the question kid." Devin wanted to rip Brandt's throat out, but the knife he had was huge and Devin had a feeling that he knew how to use it.

"My little sister." Devin said after a minute, feeling tears prickle the back of his eye. Brandt watched him for another second. "How old is that bitch of yours?" Devin felt his anger build to the breaking point and he went to lunge at Brandt but he held the knife out. "It don't matter, I'll get her anyway. I need to head back to town, Gareth and I are gonna' work on trying to find whoever killed them girls." Devin stared daggers into Brandt as he stood and sauntered back to the stairs. "See you later tonight kid."

* * *

><p>Chad reached the supermarket and looked around him. He made sure he had a bolt loaded into the crossbow before stepping into the building. He flicked on his flashlight and listened carefully. He couldn't hear anything too clearly. He kept his crossbow at the ready as he moved slowly deeper into the store.<p>

When he heard a door open and then close, he spun in the direction of the noise and crept that way.

He he felt someone slam into him and they both went tumbling to the floor. Chad's crossbow went sliding across the floor. Chad got onto his back and stared up into the eyes of Brandt. When he brought the knife down, Chad grabbed his wrist and head butted him. Brandt rolled off of Chad and onto his back. Chad got to his feet and went ran foe his crossbow. Brandt caught him by the ankle and Chad fell to the floor again. He got back onto his knees and turned to fight Brandt.

But Brandt had grabbed a large chunk of a broken shelf and slammed it into the side of Chad's hair. His head whipped to the side and he fell onto his back. Brandt crawled over to him. Chad hadn't been knocked unconscious, but he was too dazed to fight. Brandt raised up the knife, about to bring it down when Devin's foot crashed into the side of his head.

* * *

><p>The moment Devin heard the sound of fighting above him he'd gotten to his feet and ran up the stairs. He'd slammed into the door and almost gone tumbling back down the stairs. Brandt had locked it. Devin slammed into it with his shoulder once and it rattled in it's frame. He slammed into it a second time and he heard it beginning to splinter. The third time, a large crack ran down it. Devin took a step back and slammed into it one last time. The door shattered and Devin stumbled into the actual supermarket.<p>

To to his surprise, Devin saw Chad lying on the ground, a small bit of blood oozing from a wound in his temple. Brandt was crouched over him, his knife raised in the air. Devin ran towards them and slammed his foot into Brandt's head. Brandt went rolling off of Chad and landed on his back. Devin grabbed him by the front of the shirt and hauled him to his feet before slamming his head into the wall.

Brandt dropped to the floor and tightened his grip on the knife. "You little shit!" He jumped up and tackled Devin to the floor. He tried to bring the knife down, but Devin wrapped his hands around Brandt's wrist. Devin did his best to hold off Brandt, but the guy was a lot stronger than he looked. No matter how hard Devin tried he couldn't get the knife away from his face.

Slowly, Devin felt the blade of the knife touch the corner of his eye (the left eye) and slowly it pierced the skin. Devin let out a loud yell as Brandt dragged the knife through Devin's skin in a half circle from the corner of his eye to the left corner of his lips. Blood flowed freely over the left side of his face as Devin's grip on the knife loosened and Brandt raised the knife once again to make the killing blow.

The same piece of broken shelf that Brandt had used to hit Chad with slammed into the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. Chad looked down at Devin, and cringed. He didn't have time to kill Brandt. Chad hauled Devin to his feet and wrapped an arm over his shoulders. "Don't die on me man. Joel will kill me if you do."

Devin chuckled. "I...I'll be fine..." With one last deep breath, Chad began to help Devin on their way back to Bertrand.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh man! Brandt isn't dead. So what's gonna' happen to Devin? Is he going to stay alive long enough to get to help? Is Brandt gonna' come after them? How is Joel going to react to discovering the culprit of the murder of those girls? You'll find out next time.<strong>

**~Exangellion**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Joel paced back and forth in the living room. Ellie had awoken about half an hour ago and she sat with tear-stained eyes, Rebecca and Angel sitting beside her. Joel looked at them for a few moments before going back to his pacing. He wondered about Chad and Devin to himself. He prayed to God they were okay, and whoever had kidnapped Devin hadn't spilled anymore blood. He already knew whoever had killed those little girls had been the one to kidnap Devin, it only made sense. Joel scrubbed his hands through his hair and took a few deep breaths.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open and Tommy came in, breathing heavily. It was cold outside but a bit of sweat covered Tommy's forehead. "Joel, you guys need to get over to Gareth's house." Joel looked back to the girls and motioned for them to follow before stepping with Tommy outside. "Is it Devin?" He asked. Tommy nodded his head and began to jog down the street. Joel followed him quickly, behind him he could hear Ellie, Angel and Rebecca following closely behind.

When they reached Gareth's house, Tommy opened the door and stepped in first. "I've got 'em!" He called down the hall. "I'd think it'd be best if the girls waited." Tommy said. Joel looked back to the girls and held up a hand. "I'll come get ya' when I know a bit more." Tommy began down the hallway and he waited for Joel by one of the bedroom doors. When Joel was beside him, Tommy twisted the knob and the two of them walked through the doorway and into the bedroom. Joel saw Devin and he hissed. The Doc had made it out of the Hilltop alive and he was leaned over Devin, carefully inserting stitches into his face, which was cut open. Joel already knew he would have yet another scar.

"Will he live?" Joel asked. The Doc nodded his head. "Yes, he will. He's going to have a nasty scar though." Joel looked to the other side of the bed where Chad sat with a damp rag held to his temple. Joel nodded to him. "Thank you." Chad nodded his head.

"It's cool man. You probably woulda' done the same thing." Tommy suddenly tapped Joel's shoulder and despite the situation, a grin broke across his face. "Like our old man always told us: chicks dig scars." Joel couldn't help but laugh at the joke, even though it was a terrible one. "Boy this is not the time for your horrible jokes." Tommy nodded in agreement and said: "Should I go get Ellie?" Joel shrugged his shoulders.

"If you want to. I'm gonna' go and crash on Gareth's couch for a little while. I think-" Joel was cut off as the bedroom door crashed open and Brandt rushed into the room. Gareth, who was standing closest to him got attacked first. The blade of Brandt's blade swiped across his throat, opening it and sending blood splashing to the floor. From his waistband, Brandt drew a pistol and pulled the trigger. The Doc's brains splattered against the wall and his body hit the floor with a loud thud. It all happened so fast that Joel wasn't able to react until he saw the Doc's body hit the floor.

Joel slammed into Brandt, knocking his gun to the floor. Brandt tried to sink his knife into Joel's stomach, but Joel caught his wrist with his hand, and held Brandt against the wall with his left shoulder and partial arm. For several moments they stayed like that. "I never did like you." Joel said, suddenly twisting Brandt's wrist. There was a satisfying crack as his wrist broke. Brandt screamed and Joel tossed him to the ground and drew his 9mm. Chad had jumped to his feet and he and Tommy were watching in slight awe.

"You motherfucking _prick!"_ Brandt yelled. Joel's eyes drifted to the body of the Doc and Gareth. Then he looked to Chad, who nodded his head. Tommy nodded his head as well and said; "Do it Joel." Joel looked back at Brandt, and was about to pull the trigger when a thought suddenly struck him. Slowly, he put his gun in his back waistband and held his arm out towards Chad. "I'd like to borrow your hatchet." Chad reached into his belt and pulled the hatchet from it's sheath. Joel looked over to Tommy. "Hold him down."

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><p>Joel slowly stepped out of the bedroom and walked quietly towards the living room of Gareth's house. Brandt had simply ignored the girls, it seemed, and headed straight for the room Devin was in. When Ellie, Angel and Rebecca caught sight of Joel, their eyes widened. "Are you okay?" Ellie asked, her voice filled with concern. Joel looked down at himself. His hand and most of his forearm was covered in Brandt's blood. There was also blood on his shirt, and part of his other arm. Joel reached up to his face and gingerly touched it, feeling the blood there as well. He looked back towards the bedroom and could hear the sounds of Tommy and Chad putting the pieces of Brandt's body that was still together into bags.<p>

"I'm fine." He looked at Ellie and said; "Devin'll live. Just gonna' have a scar." Relief filled her eyes and Joel walked over to the couch and squeezed in between the girls. "When Tommy and Chad are finished pickin' up in there you can go see him. He's asleep right now anyway." Ellie grinned and Joel let her lean her head against his shoulder. Rebecca put an arm around his shoulders and Joel stiffened for only half a second. He seemed to be getting more and more comfortable with Rebecca's touch.

"You should get some sleep." She said. Joel didn't need to be told twice. Slowly, he stood and walked down the hall to Gareth's bedroom and pushed open the door. The room was empty, save for the worn and old bed. Joel flopped down onto it, and with Brandt's blood still drying on his body, he fell asleep.

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><p>When Devin began to regain consciousness, the first thing he registered was the pain in his face. He gingerly reached up and prodded at his left cheek and hissed in pain. Stretching from the corner of his left eye-his only eye-to the left corner of his mouth was a long line of stitches. Devin knew if the wound was that bad it was going to leave a scar. <em>Fucking huge scar<em>, Devin thought. Slowly, he opened his eye and looked around him. To his right was Angel, snoozing away and he had to chuckle. The girl was the heaviest sleeper Devin had ever met. He looked to his left and there was Ellie, reading what looked like one of his Walking Dead comics. He watched her reading for just a moment, loving the way she looked in the dim lighting.

"Hey...I'm awake now." Devin said in a hoarse voice. The sudden noise scared Ellie and caused her to nearly jump out of his skin. She looked over at him and grinned. "Hey. Took you long enough to wake up." She said, almost sincerely sounding ticked off at the fact she had to stay awake and wait for him. Devin grinned at her. "So, how's the comic coming along." Ellie looked back at it.

"Eh, it's alright." She replied, tossing it onto the bed. Chad picked it up and scoffed. "They haven't even gotten to the prison yet. It don't get good until they get to the prison." He said, setting the comic to the side and looking back to Ellie. "I'll bet by now you guys know Brandt was the one who killed those girls." Ellie nodded her head. "He killed Gareth and the Doc too. Remember the Doc? Old guy, saved Joel when he got his arm cut off and saved you when you gut your eye shot out?" Devin felt a small wave of sadness roll over him and he shook his head. "Yeah, I remember the Doc. Fuckin' psycho." He said. Ellie nodded in agreement.

"Brandt didn't do anything to you? I mean-besides cutting your face?" Devin shook his head. "No, he just tried to fuck with my head for a bit that's all. He _might_ have tried to do something else if Chad hadn't have shown up when he did." Devin moved so that his back was leaning against the wall and he was in a sitting position.

"C'mere. Give daddy some sugar." He said, holding out one arm. Ellie rolled her eyes but moved over to the bed and let Devin wrap his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder. They were quiet for just a few moments.

"I love you Ellie." Devin said, staring at the wall. This statement shocked the crap out of Ellie. She looked up at him and he leaned down and left a short, gentle kiss on her lips. Ellie looked at him for just a second longer before leaning her head against his shoulder again. "I love you too." Devin chuckled, he couldn't resist saying: "I know." Ellie punched his arm, only making him laugh. "Sorry, sorry. Couldn't resist." Ellie rolled her eyes again, but she was happy. Happier than she'd been in awhile.

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><p><strong>AN: Awww...super adorable! Well, that's it for chapter nineteen. And fair warning for y'all: that was basically the last chapter of The Road. But I felt there needed to be at least twenty chapters, so the next chapter will be a sort of prologue for the story. And don't go freaking out, there will be a third part to the story, I already know how I'm gonna' start it. So keep on relaxing and I will see you for the last chapter of the Road.<strong>

**~Exangellion**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

The su. Shone brightly through the window. A cold wind seemed to slip through every crack of the house. Devin and Ellie lay together, wrapped with two blankets. Devin lay behind Ellie with one arm wrapped around her midsection, his face buried in her neck. Just the day before Devin had returned to the house. The stitches were still in his face, along with a small layer of medical tape.

The both of them were sound asleep until the door opened and Joel stepped in. He looked at the two for just a moment, before looking at the window. According to the sun, it was somewhere around ten in the morning. Joel walked over to them, gently shook Ellie's shoulder, then Devin's.

"C'mon you two. Got some breakfast downstairs" He said. Devin pulled the blankets from his body and climbed out of bed, pulling on a coat and rewrapping his face with gauze. Ellie got out of bed slower than Devin and pulled on her winter coat, watching Devin as he slipped on his boots before walking to the door. "C'mon sleeping beauty." He said. Ellie flipped him off and slowly climbed to her feet. She stretched and followed him down the stairs.

In the kitchen, they found Joel, Rebecca, Tommy, Chad and Angel. "What's going on?" Devin asked, taking some of the rabbit meat Chad had brought in the night before. "Thought we'd come over and have some breakfast is all." Tommy said, grabbing his pack off of the floor.

"Also, I found this on that run I went on after Joel and I found them girls." From his pack, Tommy produced a knapsack. He moved over to the couch in the living room and poured out it's contents. Devin's eyes widened a bit at the sight of the cans of Bud-lite as they spilled out onto the couch.

"Aww Man..." Chad said, rushing over to the couch and picking up one of the cans, pulling back the tab and taking a deep gulp. He looked at the can for a moment. "Flat as hell, but a damn good beer." He picked up another one and held it out to Joel. The older man took it and used his teeth to pull back the tab. He took a drink.

"That's probably about as good a it's goin' to get." Devin took two and handed one to Ellie. Devin popped the tab on his and guzzled half of the can in just a few gulps. When he moved the can of beer from his mouth, he belched loudly, sending both Ellie and Angel into a fit of laughter. "You handle it pretty good kid." Chad said, taking another drink from his. Devin tossed one to Angel, one to Rebecca, and held another one out to Tommy.

"Let's make a toast." He said. "I'm all in." Chad said. Devin thought about it for just a moment. "To good times, just like this one." Chad grinned. "To good times." The two of them looked at everyone else. Rebecca, Ellie and Angel held up their beer cans. With a chuckle, Tommy did as well. Ellie looked over at Joel. He shook his head.

"I probably won't be around long enough to see another beer anyways." He held up his can and they all cheered to good times, and drank deeply from their beers.

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><p>Joel sat on the couch in the living room, the first Savage Starlight comic in his hands. He had decided to finally give them a try, see why Ellie was so obsessed with them. "They any good?" Joel looked up to see Rebecca standing in the entrance to the kitchen. Joel shrugged. "It ain't too bad." He answered.<p>

"I had a niece, she was crazy about it. Had to take her to see the movie when it came out, right before the outbreak. Wasn't too crazy about that-a whole hour and a half of my life I'll never get back." Joel smirked and nodded his head. "Yeah, my daughter Sarah was real into that one movie-Dawn of the Wolf. Just had to go see it. Dumb teen movie." Joel marked his place in the comic and set it aside.

Rebecca sat down next to him and looked up at the ceiling. "God, I hope it can be like this all of the time." Joel nodded his head. "Don't hold your breath."

"You're so negative." Rebecca said, punching his arm. "Not negative. Just realistic." Joel said. Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Yeah well, I'd rather just hope for the best. Like, I have this picture image of how I wish life could be." Joel watched her and made a motion for her to continue when she was quiet. "If there were no psycho assholes to deal with that would be great. If we could keep a place like this running forever that would be awesome. I wouldn't mind having to kill infected every once in awhile. Not being single would be cool too."

Joel quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're on the market huh?" Rebecca nodded her head. "Got anybody in mind?" Joel asked out of simple curiosity. Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. "If you're free I do." Joel felt his brows furrow at that statement. Rebecca looked at him and it only took him another second to realize she meant him.

Before he he could say anything, she had leaned in and pressed her lips against his. Joel tensed up for just a few moments, unable to do anything. But after several seconds, he let himself kiss her back. All of time seemed to stand still, as if he and she were the only two doing anything. And then the Kidd was over. Rebecca and he stared at each other for just a second.

"Does this mean you two are a thing now?" The sudden presence of Devin caused the both of them to nearly jump out of their skin. Joel whipped around to see him leaning against the wall with a smug smirk on his face. Joel felt his face heat up. "Get the hell out of here kid." Joel said.

Devin laughed loudly. "Hey Ellie! You won't believe it!" Devin shouted. Joel leaned his head back and groaned. He would never hear the end of it. "Relax." Rebecca chuckled. "She would've found out anyway." Inside, Joel knew she was absolutely right.

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><p><strong>AN: Well there you have it. The epilogue to The Road. What did you think? Was the story good? Are you ready to find out what happens to Joel and the gang in the next story? Was the toast to good times a type of foreshadowing? Find out in the next installment: The Last of Us: Unfinished Business.<strong>

**~Exangellion**


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